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SPORT   AND   TRAVEL  IN 
THE   FAR   EAST 


SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 
IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

BY 

J.  C.  GREW 

WITH  A  FOREWORD  BY  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT 

AND 
WITH    EIGHTY   ILLUSTRATIONS 

FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  BY  THE  AUTHOR 


TOUT  BIENxKUf'    OU  JUEH 


BOSTON   AND   NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON    MIFFLIN   COMPANY 


PHELAN 

COPYRIGHT,   IpIO,  BY  JOSEPH  CLARK  GREW 
ALL   RIGHTS  RESERVED 

Published  May  iqio 


TO   MY   WIFE 


774194 


FOREWORD 


June  16,  1910. 


MY  DEAR  GREW,  —  I  was  greatly  interested  in 
your  book  "Sport  and  Travel  in  the  Far  East,"  and 
I  think  it  is  a  fine  thing  to  have  a  member  of  our 
diplomatic  service  able  both  to  do  what  you  have 
done,  and  to  write  about  it  as  well  and  as  interest- 
ingly as  you  have  written.  I  particularly  enjoyed 
the  two  chapters  on  "Ibex  Shooting"  and  "Mark- 
hor  and  Wild  Sheep  Shooting"  in  Baltistan.  Your 
description,  both  of  the  actual  hunting  and  the 
people  and  surroundings,  is  really  excellent;  and 
even  more  should  be  said  of  the  chapter  in  which 
you  describe  your  really  noteworthy  experiences 
in  hunting  the  cave  tiger  of  China.  Following  the 
tiger  into  caves,  guided  by  professional  spear  hunt- 
ers of  the  neighborhood,  is  a  kind  of  sport  new  to 
most  white  men  ;  and  its  interest  is  heightened  by 
the  danger  attendant  upon  it.  I  cannot  imagine  a 
more  thrilling  or  thoroughly  sportsmanlike  experi- 
ence than  that  of  your  crawling  through  the  narrow 
rock  passages  and  shooting  the  tiger  in  its  cavern 
lair  not  four  feet  from  you. 

Sincerely  yours, 


J.  C.  GREW,  Esq. 


"  So  for  one  the  wet  sail  arching  through  the  rainbow  round  the  bow, 

And  for  one  the  creak  of  snow-shoes  on  the  crust; 
And  for  one  the  lakeside  lilies  where  the  bull-moose  waits  the  cow, 

And  for  one  the  mule-train  coughing  in  the  dust. 
Who  hath  smelt  wood-smoke  at  twilight  ?    Who  hath  heard  the 
birch-log  burning  ? 

Who  is  quick  to  read  the  noises  of  the  night  ? 
Let  him  follow  with  the  others,  for  the  Young  Men's  feet  are  turning 

To  the  camps  of  proved  desire  and  known  delight! 

"  Let  him  go  —  go  —  go  away  from  here  I 

On  the  other  side  the  world  he's  overdue. 

'Send  your  road  is  clear  before  you  when  the  old  spring-fret  comes  o'er 
you 

And  the  Red  Gods  call  for  you  !  " 


CONTENTS 

I.   MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE i 

II.   THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE 22 

III.  IMPRESSIONS  OF  NORTHERN  INDIA:  BOMBAY, 

JAIPORE,  AMBER,  AGRA 47 

IV.  IMPRESSIONS   OF   NORTHERN   INDIA:  CAWN- 

PORE,  LUCKNOW,  BENARES 66 

V.   WAIMUNGU  AND  THE  HOT-SPRING  COUNTRY 

OF  NEW  ZEALAND 91 

VI.   THE  JOURNEY  INTO  KASHMIR no 

VII.   IBEX-SHOOTING  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  BAL- 

TISTAN 134 

VIII.   MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING  IN  BALTIS- 

TAN 158 

IX.    BLACK  BEAR  HONKING  IN  THE  VALLEY  OF 

KASHMIR 193 

X.    KASHMIR  TO  CHINA 204 

XI.    HUNTING   THE    CAVE-DWELLING   TIGER   OF 

CHINA 226 

INDEX 255 

NOTE.  —  Some  portions  of  this  book  have  already  appeared  in  Harper* s  Maga- 
zine, Outing,  and  the  Badminton  Magazine  of  Sports  and  Pastimes. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

TIGER  SHOT  NEAR  AMOY,  CHINA,  OCTOBER  3,  1903    Frontispiece 

CEYLON  COAST  SCENE  SHOWING  CATAMARANS 3 

STREET  SCENE  IN  SINGAPORE       6 

A  ROAD  IN  COLOMBO 8 

A  MALAY  BULLOCK  CART 11 

THE  HARBOR,  SINGAPORE 14 

THE  HARBOR  OF  PENANG,  BRITISH  STRAITS  SETTLEMENTS  .  14 

A  MALAY  VILLAGE  OR  KAMPONG 19 

A  MALAY  TOWN 22 

REST  HOUSE  AT  KWALA  KANGSAR 22 

A  WATER  BUFFALO  OR  CARIBAO,  THE  BEAST  OF  BURDEN  OF 

THE  EAST 27 

OUR  PACK  ELEPHANTS 30 

THE  "OUTFIT" 32 

WILD  BOAR  SHOOTING  IN  MALAY 35 

THE  BAMBOO  RAFT 38 

A  TYPICAL  INDIAN  GROUP 51 

STREET  SCENES  IN  JAIPORE 54 

VlEW   FROM  THE     BATTLEMENTS    OF    THE    DESERTED  PALACE 

OF  AMBER 56 

THE  DESERTED  PALACE  OF  AMBER 56 

THE  ELEPHANT  WHICH  TAKES  ONE  UP  THE  HILL  TO  AMBER  59 

THE  TAJ  MAHAL 62 

THE  ANGEL  OF  THE  RESURRECTION 67 

Memorial  over  the  Massacre  Well  at  Cawnpore 

HINDUS 70 

A  HINDU  WATER-CARRIER 70 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  RESIDENCY,  LUCKNOW 75 

THE  CAWNPORE  BAZAAR 75 

GHATS  AND  TEMPLES  AT  BENARES 78 

THE  GHATS  AT  BENARES 83 

SOME  OF  THE  GREAT  PALACES  AT  BENARES 83 

MOUNT  TARAWERA  AND  LAKE  ROTOMAHANA 86 

THE  LAVA-FORMED  COUNTRY  SURROUNDING  WAIMUNGU     .    86 

THE  BURNING  GHAT,  BENARES 88 

Three  bodies  are  in  the  process  of  cremation;  a  fourth  lies 
in  its  shroud  on  the  slope,  while  a  fifth  is  being  brought 
in  on  the  shoulders  of  two  coolies. 

THE  CRATER  OF  WAIMUNGU 96 

GEYSER  AT  WHAKAREWAREWA 99 

STEAM  ISSUING  FROM  HOLES  IN  THE  ROCK  WITH  THE  REGULAR 

BEAT  OF  STEAM  ENGINES 102 

THE  GREAT  WAIRAKEI  GEYSER 105 

MAORI  WAR  CANOE 107 

THE  "HA  KAHAKA  TAMAHINE" 107 

THE  " ORPHAN"  KONIMBLA  VALLEY,  NEW  SOUTH  WALES, 

AUSTRALIA no 

THE  "  THREE  SISTERS,"  KONIMBLA  VALLEY,  NEW  SOUTH 

WALES,  AUSTRALIA no 

THOMAS 112 

THE  TONGA 112 

HOUSEBOATS  ON  CANAL  AT  SRINAGAR 115 

CHOOSING  SHIKARIS 118 

THE  SHIKARIS,  CHOTO-SHIKARIS,  AND  TIFFIN-COOLIES  .    .118 

SCENE  NEAR  SRINAGAR 120 

OUR  OUTFIT 123 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 

ENTRANCE  TO  THE  SONAMARG  GORGE 126 

THE  KASHMIR  BAG 128 

A  BALTI  VILLAGE,  SHOWING  STONE  HUTS 131 

A  BALTI  NATIVE  DANCE 131 

A  BALTI  BOY  COOLIE 134 

ROPE  BRIDGE  ACROSS  THE  INDUS 139 

IBEX  HEAD 142 

THE  44-iNCH  HEAD 142 

SEARCHING  FOR  IBEX 147 

IBEX  COUNTRY 147 

MY  Six  IBEX 150 

CENTRE  OF  THE  ROPE  BRIDGE 156 

The  BARA  MAHARAJAH  SAHIB  AND  HIS  STAFF      .    .     .     .161 

THE  RAJAH  OF  SHIGAR  AND  HIS  SUITE 161 

THE  MEETING  BETWEEN  THE  RAJAH  AND  THE  BARA  MAHA- 
RAJAH SAHIB 163 

A  "ROAD"  IN  BALTISTAN 166 

THE  Two  MARKHOR  HEADS,  SHOWING  KADERA,  SIDKA,  AND 

THE    LOCAL    SHIKARI l68 

A  "ROAD"  IN  BALTISTAN 171 

ONE  OF  OUR  CAMPS  IN  BALTISTAN 174 

SHARPU  HEAD,  KADERA,  SIDKA,  AND  LOCAL  SHIKARI     .    .  176 
COOLIES  WAITING  TO  BE  PAID  AFTER  A  DAY*S  MARCH    .     .179 

A  CULTIVATED  VALLEY  IN  BALTISTAN 182 

ASTORE 187 

BANDIPUR  VILLAGE 190 

CAMP  NEAR  BANDIPUR 195 

CAMP  IN  THE  BEAR  COUNTRY 195 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  GREAT  FLOOD  OF  1903  IN  KASHMIR 198 

Showing  doongas,  the  Kashmir  travelling  boats 

BEAR  AND  SHIKARIS 203 

BURMESE  WORSHIPPERS       » 206 

WORSHIPPERS  ON  THE  TERRACE  OF  THE  SHWE  DAGON  PAGODA   209 

THE  KUTHODAW  PAGODA,  MANDALAY 211 

PAVILIONS  SURROUNDING  THE  KUTHODAW  PAGODA,  MANDA- 
LAY     214 

THE  KUTHODAW  PAGODA,  MANDALAY 214 

ENTRANCE  TO  THE  KUTHODAW  PAGODA,  MANDALAY     .     .214 
ONE  OF  THE  GRIFFINS  OF  THE  KUTHODAW  PAGODA,  MAN- 
DALAY     216 

CITY  OF  HONGKONG  FROM  THE  HARBOR 222 

HONGKONG  HARBOR 222 

WATER  SCENE  NEAR  AMOY 227 

CHINESE  JUNK 227 

THOMAS,  LIM,  AND  THE  HUNTERMEN  WITH  THEIR  TRIDENTS   230 

HUNTERMEN,    GOATS,   AND   TORCHES 235 

TIGER  CAVES 238 

A  TYPICAL  TIGER  CAVE 238 

RETURN  TO  THE  VILLAGE  AFTER  TIGER  HUNT 240 

THE  VILLAGE  OF  CHI  PHAW 243 

A  CHINESE  THEATRICAL  COMPANY 246 

THE  HARBOR  OF  AMOY 250 

SAMPANS 250 


SPORT  AND  TRAVEL  IN 
THE  FAR  EAST 


SPORT  AND  TRAVEL  IN 
THE  FAR  EAST 

CHAPTER  I 

MARSEILLES   TO    SINGAPORE..- /-V  :. 


HEN,  on  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  of 
September,  1902,  the  steamship  India 
of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Line 
backed  from  her  berth  at  Marseilles, 
slipped  through  the  crowded  shipping  along  the 
water-front,  and,  leaving  behind  the  yellow  cliffs, 
the  hot  sun-baked  houses  of  the  town,  and  the  grim 
white  walls  of  Monte  Christo,  steamed  slowly  out 
into  the  cool  Mediterranean,  it  seemed  that  nothing 
was  left  to  be  desired  in  the  pleasure  of  the  prospect 
before  us. 

The  anticipation  of  eighteen  free  mouths  to  be 
turned  to  good  account  in  seeing  as  much  as  possible 
of  foreign  lands  must  at  all  times  be  most  pleasing. 
Especially  is  this  so  when  the  traveller  plans,  as  we 
had  done,  to  combine  a  maximum  amount  of  sport 
with  a  minimum  of  stereotyped  sight-seeing.  For 
several  years  the  prospect  of  such  travels  had  led  me, 


2  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  the  various  friends  who  at  one  time  or  another 
had  considered  joining  the  party,  to  spend  many  a 
winter  evening  poring  over  maps  and  formulating 
delightfully  hazy  plans,  from  which  the  elements  of 
time  and  conditions  of  travel  were  entirely  elimi- 
nated. But  as  the  date  for  setting  out  approached, 
tKe  only  arrangement  which  could  be  called  quite 
decided  was  our  intention  to  avoid  so  far  as  possible 
the  beaten  track  of  tourists,  and,  by  taking  trips  into 
the  interior  of  the  various  countries  we  visited,  to 
combine  what  sight-seeing  should  really  attract  us 
with  plenty  of  big-game  shooting,  a  certain  amount 
of  roughing  it,  and  much  valuable  experience  in 
becoming  familiar  with  the  more  natural  and  primi- 
tive parts  of  foreign  lands. 

Even  up  to  the  time  of  starting,  our  arrangements 
had  taken  no  more  definite  shape  than  this.  Tele- 
grams had  come  to  me  from  Mr.  A.  H.  Wheeler  and 
Mr.  H.  P.  Perry,  who  were  at  the  time  travelling  in 
Japan,  one  dispatch  asking  me  to  meet  them  in 
Sydney,  Australia,  whence  we  could  take  a  previ- 
ously discussed  cruise  among  the  South  Sea  Islands, 
and  a  second,  shortly  after,  requesting  that  I  come 
instead  to  Yokohama,  in  order  to  go  on  a  tiger- 
shooting  trip  in  Korea.  When,  a  few  weeks  later, 
came  a  third  telegram,  saying"  Cholera  Korea,  meet 
Singapore,"  and  for  a  second  time  I  was  obliged  to 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE          3 

ask  that  my  steamship  tickets  be  changed  to  so 
radically  different  a  destination,  I  believe  the  clerk 
in  the  P.  &  O.  office  must  have  thought  that  he  was 
dealing  with  either  a  lunatic  at  large  or  an  abscond- 
ing bank  cashier.  At  any  rate,  the  alteration  was 
effected,  my  berth  cheerfully  booked  to  Singapore, 
and  in  delightful  ignorance  of  the  purpose  of  this 
change  or  what  lay  before  me,  I  found  myself,  that 
bright  September  day  of  starting,  in  the  possession 
of  the  three  conditions  most  necessary  to  the  perfect 
contentment  of  the  average  traveller  —  little  bag- 
gage, fewer  cares,  and  no  plans  at  all. 

From  the  moment  of  setting  foot  on  the  India,  I 
felt  that  I  was  already  in  the  East.  She  smelled  of 
the  tropics,  her  cabins  and  wide  decks  were  built  to 
secure  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  ventilation 
in  tepid  seas  and  breathless  eastern  ports,  and  the 
barefooted  Lascars  with  their  simple  blue  tunics 
and  red  turbans  and  their  inimitable  monkey-like 
agility  in  going  aloft,  might  have  come  straight 
from  the  Indian  jungle,  so  little  did  they  resemble 
white  sailors.  At  night  the  British  officers,  of  whom 
there  were,  as  always,  many  on  board,  returning 
from  leave  of  absence  to  their  posts  in  India,  wore 
cool  duck  mess-jackets  with  silk  cumerbunds,  which 
contrasted  cheerfully  with  the  sombre  black  of  the 
staid  western  evening  dress;  the  deck  piano  was 


4  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

always  opened  after  dinner,  and  with  the  noted 
good-fellowship  of  all  Anglo-Indians,  the  evenings 
were  spent  in  music-making,  in  which  every  one, 
whether  soloist  or  chorister,  took  his  part.  Only  the 
low  temperature  and  the  long  Mediterranean  swell 
served  to  show  that  many  miles  still  separated  us 
from  Suez  and  true  eastern  waters.  For  five  days 
we  steamed  peacefully  along,  dropping  down  be- 
tween Sardinia  and  Corsica,  on  to  the  Straits  of 
Messina,  between  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  and  so 
past  the  barren  cliffs  of  Crete  to  Port  Said. 

On  the  third  night  of  the  voyage  we  were  afforded 
what  must  be,  I  believe,  the  most  imposing  spec- 
tacle produced  by  natural  phenomena,  namely,  the 
eruption  of  a  great  volcano.  The  Lipuarian  Islands, 
which  lie  off  the  coast  of  Sicily,  were  to  be  reached 
about  two  in  the  morning,  and  rumor  had  gone 
around  that  Stromboli  was  in  eruption.  When  that 
splendid  solitary  cone  of  earth  and  lava  rose  slowly 
into  sight,  cropping  up  out  of  the  sea  in  perfect 
profile  against  a  white  moonlit  sky,  every  passenger 
was  in  the  bow,  waiting  and  watching.  Suddenly 
from  the  flattened  top  of  the  cone  which  forms 
the  mouth  of  the  crater  a  great  round  mass  of 
what  seemed  to  be  molten  gold  appeared,  poised  for 
a  moment  on  the  brink,  then  rolled  in  bright  bur- 
nished streams  down  the  steep  sides  of  the  moun- 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE  5 

tain.  There  was  no  noise  of  any  kind,  the  molten 
lava  quickly  cooled,  and  in  a  moment  only  the  dark 
form  of  the  volcano  remained  in  view,  all  the  more 
dim  and  mysterious  for  the  sudden  contrast  of 
color.  Ten  minutes  later  the  same  thing  was 
repeated,  and  so  it  continued  at  intervals  until 
Stromboli  was  lost  to  sight  on  the  horizon. 

I  do  not  envy  the  lot  of  the  unfortunate  man  who 
has  to  live  in  Port  Said.  Since  my  first  short  glimpse 
of  it  from  the  deck  of  the  India,  I  have  spent  many 
a  weary  hour  there,  and  I  can  say  from  experience 
that  of  all  hot  places  on  this  climatically  unsatisfac- 
tory globe,  there  is  none  where  one  feels  the  heat 
more  intensely  than  in  that  squalid,  dusty,  fever- 
ridden,  desert-built  town.  And  yet,  if  there  is  one 
thing  that  can  partially  compensate  the  resident  of 
Port  Said  for  its  many  deficiencies  in  matters  of 
cleanliness  and  climate,  it  is  the  ceaseless  succession 
of  ships  which  pass  his  very  door  from  morning  till 
night,  and  through  the  night  till  morning.  To  many, 
a  ship  is  nothing  but  a  hull  of  wood  and  iron,  sur- 
mounted by  a  certain  number  of  masts  and  funnels, 
and  perhaps  a  flag.  To  the  resident  of  Port  Said 
every  single  vessel  that  plies  through  the  Canal  has 
a  distinct  personality  —  is,  in  fact,  an  acquaintance 
or  more  often  an  old  friend,  whose  home  and  des- 
tination, business,  mission,  and  personal  character- 


6  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

istics  are  as  well  known  to  him  as  are  those  of 
his  next-door  neighbor;  and  as  each  appears  and 
departs,  and,  months  later,  appears  and  departs 
again,  he  mentally  welcomes  and  god-speeds  her  as 
he  would  an  intimate  companion,  whether  she  be  a 
little  black  coaling  tramp  or  a  palatial  liner.  When 
one  considers  that  up  to  the  opening  of  the  Trans- 
Siberian  Railway,  which  has  not  detracted  in  the 
slightest  degree  from  the  number  of  vessels  using 
the  Suez  Canal,  every  person,  every  letter,  and 
almost  every  case  of  merchandise  passing  directly 
between  Europe  and  the  Orient  was  carried  through 
that  narrow  strip  of  water,  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  hotels  and  houses  of  Port  Said,  one  realizes 
what  a  busy  scene  is  presented  by  the  water-front 
of  the  little  town. 

A  year  or  two  ago  the  accidental  discharge  of  a 
cargo  of  dynamite  totally  wrecked  a  steamer  in  the 
middle  of  the  Canal,  leaving  her  in  such  a  position 
as  entirely  to  block  the  traffic  in  both  directions,  and 
necessitating  the  closing  of  the  waterway  for  ten 
days  until  the  wrecked  steamer  could  be  removed. 
During  those  ten  days  the  ample  harbor  at  the  Port 
Said  entrance  to  the  Canal  became  so  congested 
that  literally  not  another  ship  could  find  a  berth ; 
the  vessels  lay  in  rows  but  a  few  feet  apart,  like 
beds  in  a  hospital  ward,  side  by  side  and  nose  to 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE  7 

stern,  till,  toward  the  end  of  the  period,  new-comers 
found  themselves  crowded  out  into  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  were  obliged  to  take  refuge  in  near-by 
ports. 

But  the  most  extraordinary  sight  of  all,  and  one 
which  may  be  seen  at  all  times,  appears  to  the  rail- 
way traveller  from  Port  Said  to  Suez  or  to  Cairo, 
on  both  of  which  journeys  the  railroad  holds  closely 
to  the  Canal  as  far  as  the  half-way  station  at  Ismail- 
ieh.  From  the  car-window  you  look  across  miles 
and  miles  of  thirsty,  barren,  undulating  desert,  the 
only  view  which  can  become  more  monotonous  than 
the  monotony  of  the  ocean,  stretching  off  to  the 
horizon,  shimmering  in  waves  of  atmospheric  heat. 
The  presence  of  water  in  such  a  place  would  seem 
a  miracle.  Suddenly,  from  the  corner  of  the  car- 
window,  the  shadow  of  some  huge  object  catches 
your  eye;  you  lean  out,  and  there,  lo  and  behold, 
apparently  moving  leisurely  across  the  waste  of 
sand,  rises  a  mighty  vessel,  her  funnels  belching 
smoke,  her  officers  on  duty  on  the  bridge,  the  pas- 
sengers playing  cricket  or  shuffle-board  or  lounging 
about  the  decks,  so  close  that  you  could  readily 
recognize  a  friend  among  them,  every  detail  of  the 
ocean  life  being  enacted  on  this  desert  stage  in  per- 
fect verisimilitude.  What  marvellous  incongruity ! 
The  train  rushes  by,  the  scene  is  swept  out  of  sight, 


8  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  again  the  monotony  of  the  rolling  desert 
remains  unbroken,  save  for  here  or  there  a  knot  of 
white-robed  Arabs  or  a  distant  camel  caravan. 

The  India  dropped  anchor  at  Port  Said  at  five 
o'clock  on  the  fifth  evening  from  Marseilles.  I  do 
not  know  whether  the  captain  was  merely  a  wag,  or 
whether  he  had  ulterior  motives  in  keeping  the  pas- 
sengers on  board  during  the  stifling  sixteen  hours 
of  our  stay,  but  certainly  he  so  frightened  the 
greater  number  by  his  assurances  of  the  likelihood 
of  catching  cholera  ashore,  and  his  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  the  horrid  fumigating  process  through 
which  they  would  have  to  pass  before  returning  to 
the  ship,  —  an  ordeal  in  which  each  person  would 
be  confined  separately  for  ten  minutes  in  a  carbolic- 
acid  steam  bath,  his  clothes  meanwhile  undergoing 
a  different  method  of  disinfection  elsewhere,  — 
that  less  than  a  dozen  adventurous  spirits  took  their 
lives  in  their  hands  and  went  ashore.  Was  it  the 
prospect  of  acquiring  a  permanent  and  ineradicable 
perfume  of  carbolic  acid,  I  wonder,  or  merely  the 
risk  of  an  untimely  death,  that  most  influenced  so 
large  a  percentage  of  my  fellow  passengers?  Per- 
sonally, it  occurred  to  me  that,  were  there  any  real 
danger,  the  captain  would  have  commanded,  not 
advised;  and  anyway,  not  even  death  by  cholera 
could  have  outweighed  the  awfulness  of  the  stifling, 


A  ROAD 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE  9 

breathless  heat  aboard  the  India  just  then.  So  I 
joined  the  shore-goers  to  the  landing-stage,  where 
we  mounted  absurdly  minute  donkeys  and  romped 
off  through  the  bazaar  out  into  the  desert,  lying 
white  as  snow  in  the  moonlight.  Whatever  may 
have  been  our  secret  fears,  the  fumigating  ordeal, 
when  we  returned  to  the  quay,  was  at  least  support- 
able ;  holding  our  v/rists  for  a  period  of  five  seconds 
each,  the  quarantine  doctor  pronounced  us  free 
from  cholera,  and  to  the  astonishment  and  chagrin 
of  our  fellow  passengers,  we  boarded  the  India  unac- 
companied by  even  a  suspicion  of  carbolic  acid. 

But  what  a  change  had  taken  place  on  board! 
Two  enormous  coal-barges  were  moored  by  the  ves- 
sel's side,  gang-planks  had  been  run  to  them,  and 
now  four  continuous  streams  of  Arab  coolies,  black 
as  night  originally,  now  doubly  black  from  the  coal 
which  they  carried  in  baskets  on  their  shoulders, 
ascended  and  descended  in  endless  chains.  Canvas 
tarpaulins  had  been  hung  over  the  decks,  to  protect 
them  from  the  clouds  of  coal-dust  which  arose  from 
below;  but  even  with  their  protection,  the  atmos- 
phere was  full  of  it,  and  with  every  breath  we  in- 
haled quantities  of  coal-dust  with  the  stifling  air. 
As  all  the  doors,  windows,  and  port-holes  of  the 
ship  were  tightly  closed,  and  were  to  remain  so  all 
night,  to  have  ventured  into  the  interior  of  the  ship 


io  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

would  have  been  one  degree  more  insupportable 
than  to  stay  on  deck.  So  we  gathered  in  a  corner 
where  there  seemed  to  be  the  greatest  percentage 
of  air  mixed  with  the  least  amount  of  coal-dust, 
and  told  stories  till  dawn.  The  coolies  sang  some 
weird  rhythmic  chant  in  time  to  their  pace  up  and 
down  the  gang-planks,  never  varying  the  words  or 
the  tune,  or  ceasing  for  a  second  throughout  the 
night.  What  were  the  words?  I  knew  no  Arabic, 
but  indeed  they  sounded  strangely  like  English: 
they  beat  into  my  brain  in  persistent  dull  mono- 
tony, over  and  over  and  over  again:  —  ' Tireless 
Hell,  Fireless  Hell."  Certainly  they  were  appro- 
priate to  such  a  night. 

But  day  came  at  last,  and  with  it  the  same  cheery 
cloudless  sky  that  smiles  on  Egypt  without  a  break 
from  April  till  November.  One  of  the  India's  four 
sister  ships,  the  Persia,  bound  homeward  with  the 
eastern  mails,  had  come  in  during  the  night,  and 
before  breakfast  was  over,  the  little  Isis,  in  every 
respect  a  perfect  counterpart,  on  a  diminutive 
scale,  of  her  larger  sisters,  steamed  up  from  Brindisi, 
and  like  a  colt  beside  its  mother  snuggled  up  along- 
side us.  The  English  mails  do  not  join  the  ships  at 
Marseilles ;  they  wait  a  day  longer  and  then  are  hur- 
ried across  Europe  on  the  Brindisi  express,  whence 
they  are  embarked  on  the  little  Isis  or  Osiris  and  are 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         n 

carried  at  a  22-knot  pace  to  catch  up  with  the 
larger  mail-steamers  at  Port  Said.  We  dutifully 
received  the  mails  from  the  Isis,  weighed  anchor, 
and  at  last,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  pushed 
our  nose  into  the  first  reaches  of  the  Suez  Canal. 

If  the  night  had  been  stifling,  that  day  and  the 
ensuing  night  in  the  Canal  were  little  less  so.  We 
crept  along  at  a  snail's  pace,  five  knots  an  hour 
being  the  limit  allowed,  occasionally  tying  up  at 
one  of  the  buoys  along  the  bank  to  allow  another 
larger  vessel  to  go  by,  but  generally  able  to  pass 
comfortably  whatever  ship  appeared  from  the  op- 
posite direction.  The  hours  dragged  interminably, 
—  all  day  the  desert  wastes  of  Egypt  to  starboard 
and  Arabia  to  port  glaring  away  into  the  distance. 
On  deck  we  sprawled  in  steamer-chairs  and  gasped. 
The  night  brought  little  relief.  Our  progress  was 
aided  by  a  powerful  searchlight,  which  threw  ex- 
traordinary shadows  and  altered  into  fantastic 
shapes  whatever  craft  passed  us.  Fortunately  the 
last  stains  of  the  previous  night's  coal-dust  had 
been  washed  away,  mattresses  were  dragged  on 
deck,  and  we  slept  in  rows  in  what  comfort  such 
heat  would  allow. 

The  three  days  that  followed  in  the  Red  Sea  were 
scarcely  more  comfortable.  On  the  contrary,  we 
lay  about  in  steamer-chairs,  in  costumes  the  uncon- 


12  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

ventionality  of  which  only  the  circumstances  per- 
mitted, drank  abnormal  quantities  of  lemonade, 
and  tried  to  persuade  ourselves  that  we  were  com- 
paratively cool,  which  was  a  pitiful  farce.  The  only 
event  of  the  day  which  I  truthfully  can  say  I  en- 
joyed was  the  morning  bath,  and  the  method  of 
indulging  in  this  ever-gratifying  but  now  doubly 
delightful  ceremony  was  so  unusual  that  I  am 
tempted  to  describe  it.  On  ships  running  to  the 
East  the  greater  number  of  passengers  sleep  on 
deck  during  the  hot  weather,  the  forepart  of  the 
deck  being  fenced  off  with  tarpaulins  for  the  ladies, 
the  remaining  space  being  at  the  disposal  of  the 
men.  Each  passenger's  mattress  is  brought  up  by 
his  steward,  and  his  bed  made  wherever  he  prefers 
or  can  find  space  not  already  appropriated.  The 
intensity  of  the  heat  conduces  to  sociability  rather 
than  to  sleep,  and  not  only  is  the  first  half  of  the 
night  spent  in  much  chatting  and  story-telling,  but 
promptly  at  dawn  the  deck-sleepers  are  routed  out 
and  their  beds  carried  below.  At  this  time  the 
ladies  retire,  not  to  reappear  until  eight,  leaving 
the  field  clear  for  the  men.  Now  takes  place  an 
extraordinary  scene.  The  pyjama  brigade  for  a 
moment  has  disappeared.  The  sailors  are  busily 
washing  down  the  decks  with  swabbing  brooms  and 
hose.  Suddenly  from  the  smoking-room  appears  a 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         13 

rather  apprehensive-looking  passenger.  He  is  fol- 
lowed closely  by  others,  all  clad  in  bath  towels  and 
all  looking  equally  apprehensive.  They  advance  into 
the  open.  The  enemy,  in  the  shape  of  the  swabbing 
crew,  becomes  aware  of  their  presence ;  it  gathers 
in  close  formation,  the  hose  is  levelled,  there  is  a 
swish  of  cold  water,  a  few  short  gasps  from  startled 
subalterns  —  and  then,  oh,  wonderful  display !  no- 
thing can  be  seen  but  hysterical  passengers  dash- 
ing wildly  about  in  the  midst  of  a  deluge  of  spray 
and  jets  of  foaming  water,  shrieking,  gasping,  and 
spluttering.  I  know  of  no  more  effective  method 
for  suddenly  and  conclusively  dispelling  any  desire 
on  the  part  of  the  passenger  to  turn  over  and  go 
to  sleep  again. 

No  one  was  sorry  that  our  short  stay  in  the  harbor 
of  Aden  prevented  landing.  Certainly  a  less  invit- 
ing-looking town,  with  its  barren,  rocky  surround- 
ings and  total  lack  of  vegetation,  would  be  hard  to 
imagine.  Passing  the  fortress  of  Perim  and  so 
through  the  straits  of  Bab-el-Mandeb,  we  dropped 
anchor  only  long  enough  to  transfer  the  India-bound 
passengers  to  the  Egypt,  another  of  the  five  sister 
ships,  and  steamed  on  almost  immediately  into  the 
Arabian  Sea.  How  delicious  that  cool  monsoon 
breeze  felt  after  the  breathlessness  of  the  last  four 
days!  No  wonder  that  the  remaining  passengers 


I4  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

should  become  suddenly  imbued  with  new  life  and 
energy,  appoint  committees,  organize  sports,  and 
from  morning  till  night  during  the  seven  days  to 
Ceylon  keep  the  ball  of  entertainment  rolling. 

Very  early  in  the  morning  of  the  day  of  our  arrival 
in  Colombo  I  dressed  and  went  to  the  bow,  where 
the  breeze  came  fresh  and  clean  from  landwards.  It 
was  then  that  I  first  realized  that  the  writer  who 
describes  the  smell  of  the  East  is  in  no  way  drawing 
upon  his  imagination  to  add  atmosphere  to  his  word- 
pictures.  The  aroma  which  came  out  to  sea  with 
that  morning  breeze  was  as  perceptible  and  as  dis- 
tinct from  all  other  land-smells  as  is  the  odor  of  a 
greenhouse  from  that  of  a  cactus  field,  —  a  tangible 
fragrance,  soft,  warm,  and  carrying  with  it  the  scent 
of  spices,  temple-incense,  and  flowers.  The  morning 
came  up  in  a  flood  of  golden  glory,  disclosing  a  low, 
palm-fringed  shore ;  we  rounded  a  point,  and  there, 
lying  white  and  red  behind  the  countless  masts  and 
funnels  of  her  great  roadstead,  lay  Colombo,  the 
welcome  resting-place  at  the  cross-roads  of  every 
ocean  highway  of  the  Orient. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  we  were  met  by  a 
horde  of  naked  little  Cingalese  urchins  propelling 
craft  of  every  description,  from  catamarans  to  logs 
of  wood  rudely  lashed  together ;  displaying  prowess 
in  diving  after  and  recovering  coins,  when  half-way 


THE   HARBOR,   SINGAPORE 


THE  HARBOR   OI 

British  Straits  Settlement! 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         15 

to  the  bottom,  which  only  the  continual  exercise  of 
their  hazardous  profession,  day  in  and  day  out,  year 
by  year,  could  develop  —  hazardous  because  the 
harbor  of  Colombo  is  infested  with  sharks,  and 
many  an  unfortunate  urchin  is  levied  as  toll  for  the 
plying  of  their  trade.  But  judging  from  the  interest 
of  the  passengers  and  the  prodigality  with  which 
the  contents  of  their  pockets  are  cast  into  the  harbor, 
the  calling  must  be  a  lucrative  one. 

To  come  to  Colombo  from  the  West  is  like  being 
dropped  from  a  dusty  road  into  a  luxuriant  garden. 
There  have  been  no  intermediate  steps  to  accus- 
tom you  to  the  sudden  transformation.  You  left  the 
staid  grays  and  browns,  the  familiar  sights  and  pro- 
saic smells  of  the  Occident:  you  find  yourself  pre- 
cipitated unprepared  among  unknown  scenes  and 
surroundings,  brilliant  colors  and  strange  aromas, 
which  from  the  first  hour  leave  upon  your  senses 
indelible  impressions.  From  the  landing-stage  you 
are  whirled  off  in  rickshaws  through  the  town,  over 
clean  wide  roads  of  dark  red  earth,  reducing  to  a 
minimum  the  dazzling  reflection  of  the  tropic  sun, 
and  sheltered  by  a  regular  canopy  of  luxuriant 
growth.  Once  past  the  bazaar,  the  fascination  of 
whose  booths  must  tempt  even  the  most  hardened 
traveller,  the  buildings  run  no  longer  in  monotonous 
blocks,  but  are  separated  by  little  gardens  of  ferns 


16  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  palm  trees.  You  swing  on  through  the  dwelling 
quarter,  —  where  cool  white  and  green  villas,  built 
all  of  open  piazzas  and  trellis-work  rooms,  lie  back 
from  the  road,  —  past  little  plaster  huts  with  black 
Cingalese  natives  squatting  cross-legged  on  their 
thresholds,  along  the  great  Galle  Face  Esplanade,  — 
where  the  waves  of  the  Indian  Ocean  beat  cease- 
lessly   on    the    palm-lined    shore,  —  and    so    out 
through  the  outskirts  of  the  town  into  the  open 
country.    Here  it  is  that  the  tropical  foliage  first 
strikes  upon  the  westerner's  eye  with  its  full  rich- 
ness and  wealth  of  color.   The  road  is  bordered  on 
either  side  by  a  tangled  mass  of  verdure,  —  palms, 
ferns  and  cacti,  banana,  cocoanut,  and  mango  trees, 
overrun  with  festoons  of  lace-like  creepers,  breaking 
here  and  there  into  brilliant-hued  blossoms  and 
forming  a  perfect  network  of  jungle  growth.  Vividly 
colored  birds  romp  among  the  foliage  and  seem  to 
revel  in  the  fragrance  and  sunshine.    Creaking  bul- 
lock-carts and  fierce-looking  black  water-buffaloes 
lumber  past  you;  a  continuous  stream  of  natives 
hurry  this  way  and  that  on  their  various  errands, 
women  with  jewels  in  their  noses  and  silver  rings 
on  fingers,  toes,  and  ankles,  young  girls  balancing 
on  their  heads  queer-shaped  earthen  rice-pots,  old 
men  with  long,  snowy  beards  showing  against  their 
black  skins,  boys  with  flowers  and  spices  to  sell,  and 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         17 

all  naked  save  for  a  loin-cloth  or  a  brilliant  sarong 
thrown  about  them,  a  kaleidoscope  of  life  and  color 
of  surpassing  interest  and  fascination.  Java  is  called 
the  Garden  of  the  East ;  but  has  not  Ceylon  an  equal 
right  to  claim  the  title  ? 

Three  times  during  the  year  in  the  East  my 
wanderings  brought  me  back  to  Ceylon ;  and  though 
my  stays  were  short,  generally  while  waiting  for  a 
ship  to  some  other  part  of  the  world,  I  invariably 
looked  forward  with  the  greatest  enjoyment  to 
every  voyage  which  was  to  end  in  that  delightful 
country.  Later  I  was  able  to  visit  Kandy  and 
Nuwara  Eliya,  that  splendid  mountain  resort  in  the 
interior,  where,  after  a  long  siege  of  fever,  the  brac- 
ing air  was  worth  to  me  its  weight  in  gold.  But  for 
the  present  we  had  but  a  few  hours  ashore,  and 
after  lunching  at  the  famous  Grand  Oriental  Hotel 
a  dozen  of  us  were  obliged  to  bid  farewell  to  our 
fellow  passengers  of  the  India,  now  bound  for 
Australia,  and  board  the  little  Chusan  for  still 
farther  eastern  ports. 

At  four  in  the  afternoon  we  sailed  from  Colombo 
harbor,  and,  heading  out  into  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
turned  toward  Penang,  the  Malacca  Straits,  and 
Singapore.  The  voyage  requires  little  description. 
Five  days  of  quiet  steaming  brought  us  to  Penang, 
—  days  when  the  surface  of  the  sea  was  actually, 


i8  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

not  metaphorically,  mirror-like  in  its  calm,  rippled 
only  by  the  trails  of  innumerable  flying-fish ;  dawns 
when  the  sun  shot  from  the  horizon  like  a  molten 
cannon-ball  in  a  flood  of  unimagined  color;  and 
nights  when  the  stars  blazed  with  a  brilliancy  never 
beheld  by  any  northern  land  or  sea.  A  few  hours  in 
the  harbor  of  Penang,  and  we  turned  down  into  the 
Malacca  Straits,  emerging  two  days  later  at  Singa- 
pore, —  for  me,  at  least,  a  temporary  destination. 

If  I  were  to  be  taken  by  some  kind  spirit  and  sud- 
denly dropped  blindfolded  in  the  midst  of  Singapore 
to-day,  seven  years  after  my  last  stay  there,  I  should 
recognize  my  whereabouts.  No  city  in  the  world 
smells  just  like  it.  There  is  the  spicy  smell  of  Co- 
lombo, and  the  B.  C.  S.  of  Calcutta,  upon  which 
Kipling  has  distinct,  not  to  say  aggressive,  opinions ; 
and  Bombay,  at  certain  seasons,  comes  very  close 
to  resembling  Calcutta,  with  just  a  shade  of  original- 
ity of  its  own.  But  no  one  could  mistake  the  smell 
of  Singapore.  In  my  mind  it  is  inseparably  asso- 
ciated with  a  long,  very  dusty  road,  bordered  by 
Chinese  chow-shops  and  incense-burning  temples, 
and  thickly  peopled  with  representatives  of  every 
eastern  race,  from  the  all  but  naked  Tamil  to  the 
indolent,  self-satisfied  Malay,  and  from  the  mighty 
fierce-bearded  Sikh  to  the  little  squat,  smelly  Javan- 
ese. Perhaps  it  is  the  evil  messes  concocted  in  the 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         19 

chow-shops  and  sold  along  the  road  by  innumerable 
vendors  that  most  contribute  to  the  general  effect, 
or  perhaps  the  incense  burned  in  the  hundreds  of 
little  shrines  and  temples  is  primarily  responsible. 
But  I  think  the  very  air  which  lies  over  Singapore 
like  a  steaming  blanket,  thick,  heavy,  and  motion- 
less, must  itself  contain  all  the  elements  of  that 
inimitable  odor,  absorbed  through  countless  genera- 
tions of  contact  with  unwashed  humanity  and 
temple  incense,  and  diffused  throughout  the  city 
with  a  poignancy  all  too  marked  for  the  delicately 
adjusted  senses  of  the  conventional  westerner. 

My  quarters  in  Raffles'  Hotel  were  of  the  plea- 
santest.  In  front  of  my  room  was  a  little  veranda, 
furnished  with  cane  lounging-chairs  and  looking 
directly  out  upon  the  harbor,  where  the  thousands 
and  thousands  of  Malay  junks  lying  huddled  to- 
gether by  the  quays,  or  lazily  wandering  hither  and 
thither  among  the  larger  shipping,  afforded  a  scene 
unequalled  in  picturesqueness.  Before  my  door 
passed  a  continuous  and  varied  stream  of  brown 
humanity ;  in  all  the  world  there  is  no  ethnological 
museum  like  Singapore ;  people  from  every  eastern 
country  and  tribe,  and  indeed  from  nearly  every 
land  in  the  two  hemispheres,  are  gathered  there, 
and  to  one  who  has  never  before  seen  the  Orient, 
this  heterogeneous  procession  of  natives  continu- 


20  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

ously  passing  by  is  truly  of  extraordinary  interest. 
But  ascend  the  hill  to  Fort  Canning  at  evening,  and 
look  down  on  the  great  city  spread  out  below,  where 
like  myriads  of  fireflies  the  fourteen  thousand  rick- 
shaws of  the  town,  each  with  its  lantern,  flit  here 
and  there  in  the  haze  of  an  eastern  twilight.  Then 
will  you  know  the  truest  charm  of  Singapore. 

At  last,  after  many  delays,  Wheeler  and  Perry 
arrived  from  Hongkong.  They  had  had  marvel- 
lously good  sport  in  the  cave-country  about  Amoy, 
both  having  bagged  tigers  and  at  one  time  having 
seen  four  animals  break  cover  simultaneously. 
This  to  me  was  the  best  of  news,  not  only  in  the  sat- 
isfaction it  gave  me  to  learn  of  their  success,  but  also 
because  hitherto,  although  hoping  most  earnestly 
that  we  should  run  across  the  sport  somewhere,  I 
had  been  vague  and  rather  sceptical  as  to  where 
and  how  it  was  to  be  found ;  and  now  the  prospect 
of  eventually  securing  good  tiger-shooting  myself 
seemed  assured.  As  will  be  seen,  however,  it  was 
not  until  a  full  year  later  that  my  ambition  was 
finally  realized. 

To  attempt  to  describe  the  various  hunting-trips 
which  we  considered  during  the  fortnight  of  our 
stay  in  Singapore  would  be  but  a  waste  of  words. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  expeditions  into  French 
Cochin  China,  the  Philippines,  Borneo,  Sumatra, 


MARSEILLES  TO  SINGAPORE         21 

Java,  and  Johore  were  all  contemplated  and  fully 
discussed,  and  even  a  projected  cruise  to  the  South 
Sea  Islands  was  abandoned  only  when  negotiations 
for  chartering  a  schooner  fell  through,  just  as  we 
seemed  on  the  point  of  making  an  excellent  bargain. 
Meanwhile  we  gleaned  much  information  of  a  good, 
bad,  and  indifferent  nature  from  various  residents 
and  officials,  and  by  taking  cross-country  runs  every 
evening  after  the  heat  of  the  day,  put  ourselves  into 
the  best  of  physical  condition  for  the  hard  work 
which  in  any  case  was  to  lie  ahead. 

The  solution  of  the  problem  where  we  should  go 
was  finally  arrived  at  only  by  our  agreeing  to  take 
the  first  ship  which  should  leave  Singapore  bound 
in  any  direction.  This  proved  to  be  the  Italian 
steamer  Capri,  scheduled  to  sail,  within  half  an 
hour  of  our  decision,  for  Penang,  whence  the  rail- 
road leads  into  the  interior  of  the  Malay  Peninsula ; 
and  with  no  further  ceremony  than  hurriedly  to 
throw  our  jungle  kit  into  canvas  bags  and  dash  in 
gharries  to  the  wharf,  we  caught  the  ship  by  a  flying 
leap  from  the  dock  as  she  was  pulling  out  into  the 
harbor. 


CHAPTER  II 

THROUGH   THE   MALAY  JUNGLE 

JUR  object  in  planning  an  expedition 
into  the  interior  of  the  Malay  penin- 
sula was  twofold ;  first,  the  big-game 
shooting  for  which,  from  the  accounts 
of  others,  the  peninsula  seemed  to  be  a  veritable 
paradise ;  then,  to  see  this  rapidly  developing  coun- 
try before  the  hand  of  British  progress  should  have 
opened  up  its  last  hidden  corners  to  the  light  of 
civilization. 

In  the  first  respect  we  were  destined  to  be  wholly 
disappointed.  The  time  chosen  for  our  trip,  al- 
though unavoidable,  had  brought  us  into  the  jungle 
at  the  height  of  the  rains,  the  worst  possible  time  of 
year;  the  rivers  were  in  flood,  the  salt  licks  sub- 
merged, and  although  continual  signs  of  wild  ele- 
phant and  seladang  were  to  be  seen  in  the  lowlands, 
all  the  great  quantity  of  game  which  must  have  been 
there  but  shortly  before  our  arrival  had  disappeared 
into  the  hills  and  the  depths  of  the  jungle  where 
tracking  was  impossible.  Only  once,  as  I  shall  nar- 
rate, did  we  come  on  a  fresh  seladang  track;  but 


A   MALAY  TOWN 


REST    HOUSE   AT   KWALA  KANGSAR 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     23 

after  following  it  for  several  hours  until  almost 
on  the  animal,  we  were  obliged  to  abandon  the 
chase  on  account  of  the  darkness.  Tiger-spoor 
were  everywhere,  and  more  than  once  news  came 
to  us  of  a  native  or  bullock  killed  in  some  near-by 
village ;  yet  to  carry  out  a  successful  beat  in  such 
vast  stretches  of  thick  jungle  would  have  been 
absolutely  impracticable. 

In  the  other  respect,  however,  we  were  well  re- 
warded, for  though  rain  poured  almost  incessantly 
day  after  day  and  week  after  week,  with  a  tenacity 
and  vigor  which  are  known  only  in  the  tropics,  all 
such  handicaps  were  many  times  repaid  by  the  in- 
terest of  seeing  at  close  hand  the  wilder  places  and 
people  of  this  comparatively  little-known  country. 

British  influence  is  fast  bringing  the  Malay  Fed- 
erated States  to  a  condition  of  civilization  and 
prosperity  undreamed  of  thirty-five  years  ago. 
Then  the  country  was  unopened,  wars  between  the 
tribes  were  continuous,  the  murder  of  white  settlers 
the  rule  rather  than  the  exception.  To- day  each 
district  is  orderly  and  progressive  under  the  able 
guidance  of  a  British  Resident,  cities  are  springing 
up,  roads  are  daily  being  pushed  farther  into  the 
interior,  and  as  far  as  the  roads  extend,  the  smallest 
kampong,  with  its  schoolhouse  and  police-station, 
is  learning  the  demands  of  a  higher  civilization.  In 


24  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

a  few  more  years  we  shall  be  able  to  travel  from 
Singapore  to  Bangkok  by  rail,  for  even  now  railways 
are  being  pushed  rapidly  through  Johore  to  the 
south,  and  northwards  towards  Si  am. 

It  was  in  1874  that  England  first  sought  to 
interfere  in  the  state  of  perpetual  warfare  which 
existed  between  the  various  independent  states  of 
the  peninsula.  Agents  were  sent,  one  at  least  was 
killed,  his  death  avenged,  and  from  that  epoch 
England's  rule  became  predominant  in  the  four 
States  of  Perak,  Pahang,  Negri  Sembilan,  and 
Selangor ;  while  during  the  past  year,  through  treaty 
with  Siam,  Kelantan,  Kedah,  and  Trengganu  have 
passed  also  under  British  control.  Now,  under  the 
title  of  the  Federated  Malay  States,  which  came 
into  existence  in  1896,  the  government  of  the  pe- 
ninsula is  carried  on  under  the  supervision  of  the 
British  Governor  and  the  Residents  in  the  various 
districts,  though  the  Sultans  and  Rajahs  of  the  differ- 
ent states  still  retain  much  of  their  former  state 
and  power. 

With  the  coming  of  British  control,  industry  be- 
gan to  awaken.  Hitherto  it  had  been  dangerous  to 
accumulate  wealth,  for  no  rich  man's  life  was  safe ; 
now,  under  peaceful  conditions,  the  vast  tin  mines 
of  the  country  are  opening  up,  pepper  and  spices  are 
cultivated,  rubber  plantations  begin  to  yield  enor- 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE  25 

mous  dividends.  It  is  not,  however,  the  Malay  who 
is  responsible :  he  is  satisfied  with  the  existing  order 
of  things  so  long  as  no  personal  toil  is  involved,  and 
when  hungry  he  has  only  to  turn  to  his  banana 
patch:  the  thrifty  Chinaman  organizes  the  com- 
panies, the  wealthy  Hindu  finances  them,  the  Tamil 
from  Madras  supplies  the  labor,  and  the  English- 
man guarantees  peace.  Thus  development  goes 
steadily  forward,  and  the  Malay  Federated  States 
are  taking  their  rightful  place  in  the  great  markets 
of  the  world. 

We  entered  the  peninsula  from  the  port  of  Pe- 
nang,  which  with  Malacca,  Province  Wellesley,  and 
Singapore  forms  what  are  known  as  the  British 
Straits  Settlements.  A  railway  journey  through 
great  palm  forests  and  vast  stretches  of  rice-culti- 
vated country,  —  where  big  black  water-buffaloes 
were  in  evidence  in  all  directions,  carrying  burdens 
or  turning  irrigation  wheels,  and  where  hundreds  of 
coolies  in  their  pagoda-shaped  hats  worked  knee- 
deep  in  the  flooded  padi-fields,  —  brought  us  to 
Taiping,  a  large  town  in  the  state  of  Perak.  It  was 
here,  I  remember,  that  a  trifling  incident  gave  me 
my  first  insight  into  the  true  Malay  character. 

We  found  ourselves  on  the  unlighted  station  plat- 
form at  night,  in  utter  darkness  and  a  most  dis- 
piriting deluge  of  rain ;  hungry,  weary,  and  wet  as 


26  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

we  were,  the  cheer  of  the  rest-house  appealed  most 
strongly.  Rickshaws  were  engaged,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment we  were  speeding  up  the  road  at  that  satis- 
factory pace  which  a  gentle  reminder  with  one's 
cane  on  the  coolie's  back  always  secures.  I  took  it 
for  granted  that  my  coolie  knew  where  we  wanted 
to  go;  for  although  my  knowledge  of  the  Malay 
language  did  not  then  include  either  of  the  much- 
needed  nouns  " rest-house"  or  "hotel,"  I  had  care- 
fully repeated  both  these  words  to  him  in  English, 
and  he  had  bowed  with  such  an  expression  of  entire 
comprehension  that  I  felt  no  misgivings  as  to  a 
speedy  arrival  at  the  desired  destination.  So  we 
spun  along  in  the  darkness,  I  already  beginning  to 
feel  the  cheer  of  the  anticipation  of  a  hot  dinner 
and  dry  clothes. 

Alas,  for  a  traveller's  innocent  trust  in  the  moral 
responsibility  of  the  oriental  mind !  We  were  well 
out  in  the  country  now ;  the  rain  was  pouring  harder 
than  ever  and  dripping  dispiritingly  through  the 
rickshaw- top  down  my  face  and  neck;  not  a  light 
was  in  sight  to  show  signs  of  human  habitation,  and 
the  driving  storm  had  quickly  separated  me  from 
my  companions,  shutting  out  all  other  sounds. 
Then  it  was  that  I  finally  grasped  the  situation :  my 
coolie  not  only  had  no  knowledge  of  my  intended 
destination,  but  took  absolutely  no  interest  in  learn- 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     27 

ing  it :  he  was  a  wonderful  piece  of  brainless,  heart- 
less mechanism,  wound  up  to  go  until  forcibly 
stopped ;  that  was  his  purpose,  his  duty,  his  whole 
function,  and  he  was  fulfilling  it  to  the  letter,  going 
on  straight  until  ordered  to  cease,  as  unconcerned 
with  the  why  and  the  wherefore  of  the  matter  as 
a  bullock  drawing  a  cartload  of  stones.  When  I 
stopped  him  and  shouted  despairingly,  "  Rest- 
house,  hotel,  rest-house!"  he  grinned  as  compre- 
hensively as  before  and  changed  his  course ;  when  I 
expressed  my  opinion  of  him  in  the  choicest  and 
strongest  words  at  my  command,  he  beamed  appre- 
ciatively, and  obediently  started  off  in  still  another 
direction.  Under  the  circumstances  I  was  at  the 
time  unable  to  appreciate  the  humor  of  the  situa- 
tion. But  the  matter  ended  happily:  for  after  an 
hour  or  more  of  aimless  wandering,  we  happened 
by  good  luck  to  pass  a  police-station,  where  the 
word  "  rest-house"  was  understood,  and  my  coolie, 
after  an  ostentatious  dressing-down  by  the  little 
Malay  policeman,  was  directed  thither.  Wheeler 
and  Perry,  I  found,  had  both  enjoyed  exactly  the 
same  experience  as  myself. 

Kwala  Kangsar,  the  capital  of  Perak,  was  reached 
some  days  later,  the  dato,  or  headman  of  the  town, 
who  had  been  apprised  of  our  arrival,  receiving  us 
with  great  cordiality  and  escorting  us  to  the  rest- 


28  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

house,  where  a  day  was  spent  in  making  final  pre- 
parations for  the  trip. 

We  were  to  have  had  an  audience  of  the  Sultan  of 
Perak,  but  as  he  was  indisposed  at  the  time,  this 
unfortunately  was  impossible,  and  our  shooting  per- 
mits were  sent  us  by  the  da  to  instead.  I  happened, 
however,  through  an  amusing  mistake,  to  be  pre- 
sented to  one  of  the  three  sultanas,  each  of  whom 
lives  in  a  separate  istana  or  palace.  The  chief  native 
physician,  having  been  introduced  to  us  by  the 
dato,  called  at  the  rest-house  on  the  morning  after 
our  arrival  to  see  if  one  of  us  would  not  care  to 
accompany  him  on  his  rounds  in  order  to  see  some- 
thing of  the  town;  and  as  the  others  were  busy 
packing,  I  agreed  to  join  him.  He  showed  me  the 
hospital,  which  though  simple  was  neat  and  orderly 
in  a  degree  worthy  of  the  most  civilized  of  cities; 
and  having  attended  to  several  cases,  started  for  an 
istana,  where  he  was  to  visit  one  of  the  Sultan's 
wives.  We  entered  and  passed  upstairs  to  a  large 
anteroom  from  which  a  door  led  into  the  Sultana's 
apartments.  As  the  doctor  opened  this  door  he  made 
a  sign  to  me  which  I  misinterpreted  to  mean  that  I 
should  follow,  and  I  was  ushered  in  at  his  heels. 
The  Sultana  was  sitting  on  a  dais  at  one  end  of  the 
room  with  her  handmaidens  grouped  about  her,  and 
in  her  lap  a  baby  born  but  a  few  weeks  before,  per- 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     29 

haps  some  future  Sultan  of  Perak.  The  group  made 
a  decidedly  oriental  picture  and  in  my  interest  at 
observing  it  I  did  not  for  the  moment  realize  how 
unconventional  my  presence  was.  As  the  doctor 
turned  and  saw  me,  his  jaw  fell  in  surprise,  for  he  had 
in  reality  motioned  me  to  wait  outside.  He  was, 
however,  to  be  credited  with  much  diplomatic  tact, 
for  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  having  salaamed 
to  the  Sultana,  he  presented  me  as  a  noted  foreign 
physician  who  had  come  especially  to  advise  con- 
cerning her  health !  I  bowed  low,  my  presence  was 
approved,  and  what  might  have  been  an  embar- 
rassing situation  turned  out  happily. 

Kwala  Kangsar  is,  so  to  speak,  the  outpost  of 
civilization :  the  railroad  from  the  coast  ends  here, 
and  to  go  farther  one  must  arrange  transport  for 
one's  self.  Our  plan,  briefly,  was  to  push  on  through 
Upper  Perak  to  the  state  of  Pahang,  make  the  head- 
waters of  the  Pahang  River,  build  a  raft  of  bamboo, 
and  float  down-stream  to  the  eastern  coast  of  the 
peninsula,  where  we  should  trust  to  find  some  sort 
of  boat  to  Singapore.  As  Malay  life  centres  chiefly 
around  the  great  rivers,  our  plans  promised  no  little 
interest. 

A  clear  starlit  night  saw  us  packed  in  three  bul- 
lock-carts at  the  rest-house  at  Kwala  Kangsar,  one 
of  us  and  the  luggage  in  the  first,  the  other  two  in 


30  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  second,  and  Ahmed,  our  worthy  cook,  holding 
down  the  third.  The  impressions  of  the  following 
fourteen  hours  are  as  clearly  marked  in  my  memory 
as  at  the  time  they  were  on  my  person :  they  were 
a  medley  of  springless  swaying  and  creaking,  the 
sharp  "ja!"  of  the  Kling  driver  coming  at  regular 
intervals  through  the  night,  the  damp  evil  smell  of 
the  padi -grass  which  served  as  bedding,  the  odor  of 
our  driver's  vile  cigarettes  and  areca  nuts,  which 
alone  must  have  kept  him  awake,  and  above  all,  the 
pitiless  swarms  of  flies  that  came  from  the  padi- 
fields  through  which  we  passed,  to  render  sleep  as 
impossible  as  it  was  longed  for.  The  cart  jolted 
along  at  scarcely  two  miles  an  hour,  never  once 
stopping  through  the  long,  hot,  soul-trying  night. 

Dawn  disclosed  the  jungle,  like  an  impenetrable 
wall  on  one  side  and  a  valley  on  the  other,  luxuriant 
with  ferns  and  cocoanut  palms  and  hundreds  of 
brilliantly  colored  song-birds.  We  were  hungry  — 
as  hungry  as  any  healthy  mortals  might  be  after 
such  a  night.  Ahmed  proved  his  efficiency  from  the 
first  by  binding  his  ankles  with  a  fibre-thong  and 
proceeding  to  clamber  up  the  nearest  cocoanut-tree, 
whence  he  soon  returned  with  a  full  breakfast  under 
either  arm. 

Arriving  at  Lenggong  we  repaired  as  usual  to  the 
rest-house.  Now  the  British  rest-house  is  a  most 


OUR   PACK.   ELEPHANTS 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     31 

gratifying  institution.  It  is  intended  originally  for 
the  government  officials  on  their  rounds  of  duty, 
whether  it  is  the  Resident  of  a  district  on  a  tour  of 
inspection,  or  the  roads  commissioner  building  new 
highways  into  the  interior;  and  among  the  regula- 
tions on  the  wall  of  the  dining-room  you  will  read 
that  in  every  case  an  official  has  first  call  in  the  mat- 
ter of  accommodations.  In  the  more  frequented 
places  a  servant  will  be  found  in  charge,  who  performs 
the  combined  duties  of  cook,  butler,  valet,  and  any- 
thing else  that  may  be  required.  Farther  away  from 
civilization,  where  travellers  are  few  and  the  officials 
are  given  larger  tracts  to  cover,  there  is  no  servant, 
but  the  key  of  the  rest-house  will  be  found  in  charge 
of  some  privileged  old  inhabitant  of  the  village,  who 
unlocks  it  with  the  greatest  pomp  and  ceremony, 
and  sweeps  it  out  as  though  preparing  a  palace  for 
the  king's  arrival.  Up  in  the  interior  these  buildings 
are  raised  high  above  the  ground,  in  case  of  flood, 
a  porch  runs  along  the  outside,  and  the  single  floor 
inside  is  simply  furnished  with  plenty  of  plain 
wooden  chairs  and  tables,  pots  and  pans  for  cook- 
ing, and,  above  all,  mosquito-netting. 

It  was  at  Lenggong  that  our  first  news  of  a  tiger 
came.  The  headman,  or  penghulu,  of  the  village 
called  on  us  one  morning  with  two  old  trackers,  who 
said  that  within  the  week  a  tiger  had  killed  a  bullock 


32  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

some  three  miles  down  the  road,  and  that  if  we 
cared  to  investigate,  we  might  find  him  still  around 
the  carcass.  We  accordingly  took  out  our  guns  and 
walked  to  the  spot  on  the  road  where  the  animal  had 
been  killed.  Here  the  jungle  was  dense  on  both 
sides  of  the  road,  but  we  found  the  path  the  tiger  had 
made  in  dragging  his  prey  away,  and  followed  it 
straight  into  the  rukh  to  the  remains  of  the  slaugh- 
tered bullock,  whose  limbs  had  evidently  been  well 
chewed  and  scattered  not  far  from  the  body  itself. 
I  noticed  several  fresh  paw-marks  in  the  mud, 
which  on  account  of  the  rains  could  not  have  been 
more  than  a  day  old.  As  we  were  bending  over 
them,  there  was  the  distinct  sound  of  an  animal 
escaping  into  the  jungle ;  both  trackers  at  once  said, 
"Rimau!"  ("tiger!")  and  appeared  much  excited. 
But  a  tiger  slinks  away  silently,  and  though  the 
men  assured  us  that  they  had  heard  a  growl,  we  at- 
tributed the  noise  to  a  deer  and  returned  to  the  vil- 
lage, feeling  that,  however  much  game  there  might 
be  in  the  country,  tracking  was  out  of  the  question, 
so  dense  and  pathless  was  the  jungle. 

Rain  had  now  poured  steadily  for  several  days, 
turning  the  roads  into  sluices,  which  rendered  the 
journey  to  the  next  post,  Janing,  exceptionally  try- 
ing ;  to  take  a  bullock-cart  through  that  wilderness 
of  mud  was  out  of  the  question.  We  learned,  how- 


THE 


^     A  ,>.   -  -     ;•»>  -•  •^•-^  .f~3?'r* '* »•>  v'x-.-r^. " 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     33 

ever,  that  government  elephants  might  be  secured 
from  the  British  Resident  at  Janing;  and  trusting  to 
be  able  to  send  them  back  for  the  luggage,  we  set 
out  to  cover  the  twenty-odd  miles  on  foot.  This  was 
no  easy  task;  the  highway  had  become  a  veritable 
quagmire  into  which  one  sank  at  every  step,  and 
since  we  had  neglected  to  carry  sufficient  drinking 
water,  thirst  came  on  with  painful  intensity.  Dark- 
ness found  us  with  our  bearings  completely  lost,  as 
we  had  missed  the  right  road  and  taken  one  which 
apparently  led  nowhere;  we  were  much  too  fatigued 
by  the  twenty- two  mile  tramp  to  hope  to  reach 
Janing,  and  the  prospect  of  a  night  in  the  open 
jungle,  with  no  means  of  guarding  against  the 
beasts  which  might  happen  to  be  there,  was  not 
pleasing.  But  by  good  chance  we  stumbled  upon 
the  small  village  of  Kwala  Kinering,  where  an  Eng- 
lish tin  miner,  prospecting  alone  in  the  interior, 
brought  tea  and  rice,  the  first  food  we  had  had  since 
morning,  and  made  us  comfortable  for  the  night. 

It  gave  us  somewhat  of  a  start,  however,  when 
we  learned  the  next  day  that  a  native  had  been 
killed  and  eaten  by  a  tiger  at  a  spot  on  the  same 
road  which  we  had  passed  but  an  hour  or  two 
earlier  on  the  previous  evening. 

Janing,  which  we  reached  at  noon  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  proved  to  be  a  pretty  little  town  on  the 


34  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

bank  of  the  great  Perak  River.  Our  stay  there  was 
rendered  most  pleasant  by  the  hospitality  and 
cheery  personality  of  the  British  Resident,  Mr.  B. 
The  picture  made  by  his  little  white  bungalow, 
sheltered  by  palm  trees  and  surrounded  by  smooth 
green  lawns,  like  an  oasis  in  the  dark  jungle  desert, 
its  cool  interior  well  fitted  with  pictures  and  game- 
heads,  its  library  and  many  long,  comfortable  cane 
lounging-chairs,  is  one  which  I  shall  not  soon  forget. 
Whether  such  comforts  can  make  up  for  a  life  of 
almost  absolute  loneliness,  so  far  as  intercourse  with 
white  men  is  concerned,  is  a  question  which  only  a 
man's  personal  character  can  decide ;  many  of  these 
officials,  their  wives  and  children  at  home,  remain 
for  years  up  in  the  interior  of  the  countries  they 
labor  in,  without  a  holiday,  with  almost  never  the 
sight  of  a  white  man's  face,  and  few  indeed  with  the 
comforts  I  have  described,  their  whole  nature  ab- 
sorbed in  their  work,  all  their  sympathies  centred 
in  their  black  charges,  whom  they  doctor,  teach, 
and  govern.  It  is  a  true  labor  of  love  and  patriotism 
this,  and  one  worthy  of  admiration.  Mr.  B.'s  face 
lighted  with  affection  and  pride  when  he  spoke  of 
the  men  he  worked  among ;  perhaps,  after  all,  there 
are  better  things  in  the  world  than  creature  com- 
forts. 

On  the  day  after  our  arrival  the  whole  village, 


THROUGH  THE   MALAY  JUNGLE     35 

including  the  police  force,  was  turned  out  to  beat  pig 
for  us,  —  perhaps,  for  the  sake  of  the  uninitiated,  I 
should  say,  to  drive  wild  boar.  While  we  stood  at 
short  distances  apart,  on  a  jungle  path,  the  natives 
formed  in  a  long  line  and  came  down  a  hillside  yell- 
ing at  the  top  of  their  lungs,  beating  tin  pans  and 
setting  off  fire-crackers,  making  indeed  a  pande- 
monium before  which  the  heart  of  the  most  intrepid 
boar  might  well  have  quailed.  The  sportsman 
stands  in  a  little  clearing,  his  gun  cocked  and  he 
well  on  the  alert;  the  din  approaches,  there  is  a 
rustle  in  the  bushes,  and  what  appears  to  be  a 
black  torpedo  shoots  like  a  thunderbolt  across  the 
path.  For  the  first  few  times  the  hunter  then  grad- 
ually recovers  his  breath  and  uncocks  his  still  un- 
discharged rifle,  the  boar  being  by  this  time  sev- 
eral miles  away  and  still  going  strong.  Occasionally 
the  animal,  happening  to  emerge  exactly  where  the 
expectant  sportsman  is  standing,  makes  a  bolt 
between  his  legs,  and  the  hunter,  being  unable  to 
shoot  accurately  while  turning  a  somersault  in  the 
air,  thus  also  loses  his  game.  However,  with  a  little 
experience,  he  learns  to  judge  where  the  boar  will 
appear,  and  to  catch  him  in  midair  as  he  springs 
across  the  path. 

While  we  were  shooting,  the  Resident  of  the  neigh- 
boring district  happened  to  call  at  Janing,  and  not 


36  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

finding  a  single  inhabitant  in  or  near  the  village, 
came  to  the  obvious  conclusion  that  an  earthquake 
had  swallowed  up  the  entire  population. 

Mr.  B.  had  most  kindly  sent  back  government 
elephants  for  the  luggage,  and  on  their  return  pro- 
posed that  we  should  take  them  on  to  the  next  post, 
Grik,  where  others  could  probably  be  hired  from  the 
natives.  This  suggestion  we  gladly  accepted,  and 
on  a  clear  sunny  morning,  which  contrasted  cheer- 
fully with  the  previous  downpour,  set  out  with  five 
elephants  and  a  baby  elephant  accompanying  its 
mother.  The  jungle  was  at  its  best  that  morning; 
the  foliage,  from  the  refreshing  rains,  was  of  the 
most  vivid  green  and  sparkled  in  the  sun ;  on  many 
trees  and  shrubs  rich  orchid-like  flowers  were  in 
full  blossom,  while  among  them  darted  birds  of  all 
descriptions,  surpassing  in  the  brilliancy  of  their 
plumage  and  sweetness  of  note  any  that  I  have  seen 
in  other  lands.  Occasionally  a  troop  of  chattering 
monkeys  swung  by  us  overhead,  pausing  to  regard 
us  with  curiosity,  and  to  hurl  down  twigs  and  bits 
of  bark  as  they  passed ;  the  whole  jungle-world  was 
full  of  movement  and  life,  every  bird  and  animal 
apparently  drinking  in  with  pure  enjoyment  the 
glorious  freshness  of  the  sunshine  after  rain. 

A  source  of  continuous  amusement  to  us  were  the 
antics  of  the  baby  elephant.  You  have  seen  a  kitten 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     37 

career  madly  around  after  its  tail,  or  a  puppy 
tumble  over  itself  in  paroxysms  of  playfulness ;  but 
have  you  ever  witnessed  an  elephant  at  the  tender 
age  of  six  months  expressing  its  uncontainable 
spirits?  I  assure  you  there  is  nothing  more  excru- 
ciatingly funny.  To  begin  with,  he  suddenly  charges 
a  bamboo  thicket,  butting  down  great  trees  as  care- 
lessly as  though  they  were  cornstalks;  these  fall 
across  the  way,  together  with  a  small  avalanche  of 
rotten  boughs,  placing  your  life  distinctly  in  jeop- 
ardy and  causing  you  to  wonder  anxiously  whether 
in  the  event  of  a  dearth  of  bamboo  you  yourself 
may  not  be  selected  as  a  substitute.  He  then  tears 
up  a  large  sapling  by  the  roots,  breaks  it  in  pieces, 
and  hurls  the  bits  in  every  direction,  while  you 
vainly  attempt  to  dodge  the  missiles.  Tired  of  this 
pastime,  you  will  observe  him  surreptitiously  filling 
his  trunk  with  the  semi-liquid  mud  by  the  road- 
side, which  he  appears  to  have  swallowed  until  a 
sudden  carefully  aimed  jet  covers  you  from  head  to 
foot.  The  next  moment  he  is  trotting  docilely  by  his 
mother's  side,  his  whole  being  radiating  innocence 
and  defying  calumny.  Perhaps  the  most  amusing 
episode  in  our  baby's  infinite  variety  of  entertain- 
ment was  once  when,  fording  a  brook,  he  slipped  on 
the  muddy  bank  and  landed  on  his  back  in  mid- 
stream, where  he  lay  with  his  legs  waving  absurdly 


38  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

in  the  air,  as  helpless  as  an  overturned  beetle.  The 
fond  parent,  seeing  his  predicament,  was  obliged 
to  return  and  support  him  until  he  could  regain  his 
feet. 

The  glorious  sunshine  of  the  morning  was  not  to 
last.  Toward  noon  the  clouds  rolled  up,  and  soon  it 
was  pouring  in  tropical  torrents ;  frequently  we  had 
to  ford  rivers  up  to  our  waists  in  water,  while  the 
road,  from  the  mud  and  pools,  became  almost  im- 
passable. As  my  feet  had  become  sore  from  the 
gravel  which  chafed  in  my  shoes  at  every  step,  I 
mounted  an  elephant,  and  for  five  hours  endured 
the  uncomfortable  swaying  motion  and  the  chill  of 
the  drenching  rain;  the  others  kept  on,  however, 
until  at  nightfall  pitch-darkness  found  them  alone 
in  the  jungle,  some  miles  ahead  of  the  elephants.  In 
attempting  to  ford  a  river  they  got  in  up  to  their 
necks,  and  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  managed 
to  escape  being  swept  away  by  the  now  much- 
swollen  current.  The  outlook  was  serious,  as  it  was 
a  question  whether  the  elephants  would  be  able  to 
keep  to  the  road  in  the  darkness.  Meanwhile  my 
gajah  had  been  lumbering  along,  while  the  driver 
belabored  him  continually  on  the  head  with  his 
stick,  and  now  and  then  gave  him  a  prod  with  the 
ankus,  all  the  while  addressing  him  in  a  comical 
reproving  voice  as  one  talks  to  a  young  child.  After 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE  39 

dark  he  became  frightened  at  the  noises  in  the 
jungle,  and  tried  to  turn,  but  the  driver  kept  him  on 
with  an  ever-increasing  volubility  of  epithets,  and 
finally  we  met  the  others,  who  of  course  were  de- 
lighted to  find  that  they  would  not  have  to  spend 
the  night  alone.  We  forded  the  river,  reached  Grik, 
a  small  kampong  composed  of  a  few  little  thatched 
huts,  and  turned  in,  wet  and  very  weary. 

Through  the  assistance  of  the  penghulu  of  Grik, 
Ibrahim  ben  Ishmail,  a  bamboo  hut  was  now  built 
for  us  on  a  game-field  some  seven  miles  away, 
called  Padang  Sambai.  These  penghulus,  by  the 
way,  invariably  showed  us  the  greatest  courtesy 
and  good-will,  and  indeed  all  the  natives  with  whom 
we  had  dealings  proved  the  recognized  cheeriness 
and  light-heartedness  of  the  Malay  character.  But 
indolence  is  their  vice ;  it  is  the  Tamil  from  Madras 
and  the  Chinaman  who  do  the  work  in  Malay. 
Even  in  the  most  solitary  places  we  were  continually 
running  across  well-ordered  Chinese  farms ;  were  it 
not  for  the  great  number  of  Chinamen  who  have 
settled  in  the  peninsula,  and  who  by  their  thrift  and 
energy  have  established  themselves  in  successful 
farming  and  commercial  enterprises,  the  Malay 
Federated  States  would  be  very  much  more  back- 
ward in  civilization  and  exploitation  than  they  are 
to-day. 


40  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

Padang  Sambai,  the  game-field  which  I  have 
mentioned,  lay  in  the  thickest  part  of  the  jungle, 
approached  only  by  a  scarcely  perceptible  trail. 
We  were  guided  there  by  some  hunters  from  the 
Sakai  hill-tribes,  who  had  put  in  an  appearance  at 
Grik  the  night  before  our  departure.  These  were 
truly  remarkable  specimens  of  humanity,  —  short 
of  stature,  wild-looking,  and  stark  naked  except  for 
a  narrow  loin-cloth.  They  went  ahead  through  the 
thickest  jungle,  absolutely  noiselessly,  and  at  a  pace 
which  quickly  exhausted  us,  over  logs,  through 
streams,  and  always  in  mud  nearly  up  to  our  knees. 
The  hut  was  found  to  be  nearly  finished,  several 
natives  having  been  working  on  it  for  some  days  — 
a  bamboo  floor  raised  three  feet  off  the  ground,  and 
covered  by  a  roof  of  cleverly  interwoven  leaves 
which  proved  to  be  quite  waterproof.  Fortunately 
it  was  near  the  river,  where,  in  spite  of  Ahmed's 
warning  to  look  out  for  alligators,  we  at  once  in- 
dulged in  a  refreshing  swim.  Our  legs  were  in  a  bad 
way  from  the  elephant-leeches,  which  attach  them- 
selves when  one  is  tramping  in  the  jungle ;  the  exhil- 
aration of  walking  prevents  one's  feeling  the  bite, 
so  they  stay  there  and  continue  to  suck  the  blood, 
soon  becoming  three  or  four  times  their  natural  size. 
Even  with  carefully  wound  putties  I  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  keep  them  out ;  they  attach  themselves  when 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     41 

extremely  minute,  and  succeed  in  getting  inside  in 
spite  of  all  precautions.  Eight  were  on  my  legs  from 
this  one  walk,  leaving  sores  which  bled  badly ;  and 
others  were  found  to  have  dropped  on  us  from  the 
trees,  and  actually  crawled  down  our  necks  without 
being  felt.  Black  scars  result  from  the  bites,  and 
remain  for  years. 

Our  stay  at  Padang  Sambai  soon  proved  the  use- 
lessness  of  the  trip  so  far  as  the  shooting  was  con- 
cerned, and  in  fact  led  us  to  abandon  all  idea  of 
going  into  Pahang ;  for  day  after  day  the  rain  poured 
with  a  dreary  and  dispiriting  persistency.  This 
great  open  game-field,  with  its  tall  grass,  ponds,  and 
marshes,  was  all  marked  up  with  the  tracks  of  wild 
elephant  and  seladang.  Yet  morning  and  evening, 
day  after  day,  we  waited  and  watched  to  no  purpose. 
Every  animal,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  deer,  had 
effectually  disappeared  from  the  country.  A  few 
shots  at  these  deer  were  small  recompense,  and  I 
found  that  shooting  from  the  back  of  an  untrained 
elephant,  which  at  the  report  of  the  gun  tries  to 
imitate  a  bucking  broncho,  is  anything  but  condu- 
cive to  accuracy. 

It  was  finally  decided  to  build  a  raft  here  on  the 
Perak  River,  and  to  float  down  its  course  instead  of 
crossing  into  Pahang.  Seven  natives  were  put  to 
work,  and  in  a  few  days  had  made,  with  no  material 


42  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

but  bamboo,  a  very  ingenious  construction.  Some 
twenty  pieces  of  bamboo,  about  thirty  feet  long,  had 
been  lashed  together  with  bamboo  thongs,  and  upon 
these,  in  the  centre,  was  a  raised  platform  about  fif- 
teen by  six  feet.  A  light  frame  supported  the  tent 
and  fly  as  a  covering  over  this.  Not  a  single  nail  had 
been  used  in  the  construction. 

The  trip  down  river  would  have  been  thoroughly 
delightful  had  it  not  been  for  the  rain.  As  it  was, 
the  mornings  were  bright  and  warm,  and  the  river- 
banks,  as  we  floated  leisurely  past,  were  always 
full  of  interest.  As  on  our  journeys  through  the 
jungle,  gorgeously  colored  birds  kept  flying  and 
singing  around  us;  the  shores  were  here  and  there 
lined  with  banana  and  other  fruit  trees,  in  which 
monkeys  played  and  squabbled,  and  occasionally 
we  passed  a  little  kampong,  half  hidden  in  the  foli- 
age, with  natives  working  and  babies  sprawling  on 
the  thresholds  of  the  huts. 

In  one  place  we  had  to  go  over  a  rather  formidable 
set  of  rapids,  which  our  paddlers  had  been  discussing 
for  days  beforehand,  and  which  apparently  caused 
them  some  apprehension.  The  barang,  or  luggage, 
was  carefully  lashed,  a  huge  steering  paddle  con- 
structed in  the  stern,  and,  with  paddlers  and  polers 
at  their  posts,  we  pushed  out  into  the  stream.  As 
we  drifted  toward  the  first  pitch,  the  pilot,  a  gray- 


THROUGH  THE  MALAY  JUNGLE     43 

headed  officious  old  man,  took  a  charm  from  his 
turban  and  threw  it  at  a  big  rock  in  mid-stream, 
crying  out  a  prayer  to  the  river  spirit  to  see  us  safely 
through.  There  were  four  pitches,  each  successive 
one  a  little  worse  than  the  last ;  and  as  we  went  over 
them  the  old  man  appeared  to  go  mad;  he  leaped 
from  side  to  side,  brandishing  his  bamboo  pole  quite 
uselessly  in  the  air,  and  yelling  as  though  he  were 
possessed  of  devils,  beating  the  poor  coolies,  who 
were  doing  all  the  hard  work,  on  the  back  as  he  did 
so.  They  were  all  shouting,  too,  and  when  on  the 
last  pitch  the  flood  rushed  over  the  platform  on 
which  we  were  sitting,  they  also  seemed  to  lose 
their  heads  and  rushed  about  the  raft  like  a  stam- 
peded herd  of  cattle.  To  a  spectator  on  the  bank 
the  sight  must  have  been  a  ludicrous  one. 

At  another  spot  the  fresh  seladang  track  of  which 
I  have  spoken  was  found  on  the  bank;  and  as  it 
was  evidently  but  a  few  hours  old,  we  followed  it 
for  hours  through  the  worst  tangle  of  underbrush 
it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  encounter.  When  we 
were  so  close  that  the  water  in  the  animal's  hoof- 
prints  was  still  muddied,  the  trackers  who  had 
accompanied  us  refused  to  continue  nearer;  an 
Englishman  had  not  long  since  been  killed  by  a 
bull  seladang  in  the  same  country,  and  the  accident 
had  left  too  serious  an  impression  on  the  natives' 


44  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

minds.  We  ourselves  followed  on,  but  the  seladang 
had  moved  swiftly,  and  at  dark  we  were  obliged 
to  turn  back,  bleeding  all  over  from  scratches  and 
leech-bites. 

The  remainder  of  the  trip  was  a  disheartening 
story  of  rain,  rain,  rain.  Occasionally  a  night  was 
spent  in  some  native's  hut  on  the  bank,  where  we 
slept  on  wooden  shelves  in  opium-thickened  atmos- 
phere ;  but  as  a  rule  things  were  made  as  comfort- 
able as  possible  on  the  raft.  At  the  best,  we  slept 
in  pools  of  water,  with  mosquitoes  biting  ceaselessly, 
and  rivulets  from  the  soaked  canvas  dripping  on 
our  faces. 

Of  course,  after  this  continual  subjection  to  the 
bites  of  swamp-mosquitoes,  there  was  but  one  re- 
sult to  expect,  namely,  malarial  fever.  Our  blood 
must  have  been  full  of  the  poison  when  we  emerged 
from  the  interior  at  Penang,  but  as  yet  no  symp- 
toms of  what  awaited  us  had  developed.  We  re- 
turned to  Singapore  on  a  little  Chinese  tub,  the  Pin 
Seng,  which  was  so  filthy  and  so  swarming  with  ver- 
min, that,  after  a  single  glance  at  the  cabins  which 
had  been  allotted  us,  we  took  refuge  on  deck  and 
remained  there  throughout  the  voyage,  without 
once  again  venturing  below. 

From  Singapore  we  immediately  entered  Johore, 
the  country  which  occupies  the  foot  of  the  Malay 


THROUGH  THE   MALAY  JUNGLE     45 

Peninsula.  After  many  fruitless  interviews  on  our 
part  and  much  procrastination  on  his,  the  Sultan 
of  Johore  had  finally  given  us  permission  to  look  for 
tiger  in  his  domains,  and  as  he  himself  had  already 
vshot  fourteen  within  a  radius  of  seven  miles  of  his 
palace,  the  chances  of  success  looked  promising. 
After  a  few  days  of  beating  the  jungle,  which  re- 
sulted in  bringing  out  innumerable  pig  but  not  a 
sign  of  tiger,  Perry  decided  to  abandon  the  quest  in 
favor  of  the  wilder  regions  of  Borneo,  Wheeler  and 
I  promising  to  follow  him  in  another  fortnight.  Dur- 
ing the  next  few  days  we  were  on  foot  from  morning 
till  night,  soaked  to  the  skin  one  moment  and  baked 
dry  by  the  glaring  sun  the  next.  There  was  some  ex- 
citement in  waiting  on  a  narrow  path  while  the  dogs 
and  beaters  approached  noisily  through  the  jungle, 
for  there  was  always  the  possibility  and  the  hope 
that  a  tiger  might  emerge  within  range,  and  indeed 
fresh  spoor  had  been  found  almost  at  once  after 
Perry's  departure. 

Then  one  morning  a  sudden  end  was  put  to  my 
hopes  of  success.  For  the  past  week  I  had  had  con- 
tinual headaches,  and  at  times  had  found  myself 
almost  incapable  of  standing.  When  finally  my 
temperature  was  taken,  it  proved  to  be  so  high  that 
no  further  doubt  as  to  the  presence  of  fever  existed, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  start  ignominiously  for  the 


46  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

coast,  in  a  hammock  swung  from  the  shoulders  of 
four  coolies.  Eventually,  under  the  care  of  a  Singa- 
pore physician,  the  fever  was  temporarily  mastered ; 
Wheeler,  who  had  been  unsparing  in  his  kindness 
and  assistance,  returned  to  Johore,  and  I,  under 
doctor's  orders,  sailed  on  November  27  for  the 
more  healthful  climate  of  Northern  India. 


CHAPTER  III 

IMPRESSIONS    OF    NORTHERN    INDIA:    BOMBAY, 
JAIPORE,    AMBER,    AGRA 

HEN  we  started  on  our  trip  around  the 
world  we  had  had  no  intention  of  doing 
much  stereotyped  sight-seeing,  simply 
because  the  wilds  and  a  gun  had  ap- 
pealed to  us  much  more  strongly  than  the  beaten 
track  of  tourists  and  a  guide-book.  But  now  the 
fever  had  put  me  out  of  action,  so  far  as  shooting 
trips  were  concerned,  for  several  months  at  least, 
and  it  seemed  that  I  could  not  better  improve  this 
period  of  convalescence  than  by  jogging  across 
Northern  India  and  visiting  some  of  her  more  fa- 
mous cities.  Accordingly,  on  reaching  Ceylon  after 
the  Malay  trip,  I  went  ashore  only  long  enough  to 
rebook  my  passage  to  Bombay,  and  continued  up 
the  coast  on  the  P.  &  O.  S.  S.  Massilia,  which  had 
brought  me  from  Singapore.  The  journey  across 
India  was  a  thoroughly  pleasant  one,  and  notwith- 
standing the  numberless  times  it  has  been  written 
up  before,  I  am  tempted  to  jot  down  a  few  of  the 
purely  personal  impressions  received  in  that  fasci- 


48  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

nating  country.  For  I  know  of  no  land  that  can  com- 
pare with  it  in  point  of  architectural,  historic,  and 
human  interest,  and  no  country  that  repays  so  well 
a  trip  of  sight-seeing  and  study. 

As  one  looks  back  at  Bombay,  one  remembers 
first  of  all  that  splendid  seaside  drive  out  to  Mala- 
bar Point,  through  the  hot,  spice-laden  atmosphere, 
where  the  fashionable  carriages  of  Bombay  society 
dodge  in  and  out  among  the  lazy,  swaying  bullock- 
carts,  and  the  rich  Parsee  dashes  in  state  past  his 
toiling  low-caste  brethren.  One  remembers  it  first 
of  all  because  it  leads  one  past  the  Towers  of 
Silence;  and  gruesome  as  is  their  character,  the 
Towers  of  Silence,  with  their  surrounding  woods, 
lawns,  and  gardens,  have  no  counterpart.  The 
system  which  goes  on  within  those  ivy-covered  • 
walls,  which  from  their  aspect  suggest  to  the  visitor 
some  grim  mediaeval  fortress,  is  as  admirable  as  it 
is  startling.  One  of  the  chief  tenets  of  the  Parsee 
religion  is  that  fire,  earth,  and  water,  being  sacred, 
must  not  be  polluted  by  contact  with  putrifying 
flesh,  so  that  their  mortal  remains  may  not  be 
burned,  buried,  or  thrown  into  the  sea.  Hence  the 
bodies  of  their  dead  are  taken  and  placed  reverently 
upon  marble  slabs  within  these  circular  battlements 
—  there  being  three  concentric  circles,  for  the  bod- 
ies of  men,  women,  and  children  respectively. 


BOMBAY  49 

Upon  these  battlements  are  perched  some  five  hun- 
dred vultures,  waiting  only  for  the  pall-bearers  or 
Nasr  Salars  to  withdraw ;  a  few  minutes  suffice ;  the 
bones  of  the  dead,  cleansed  of  mortal  flesh,  are  then 
allowed  to  remain  until  thoroughly  bleached  by  sun 
and  rain,  when  they  are  reverently  dropped  into 
the  well  which  forms  the  centre  of  the  circles.  Here 
they  crumble  into  ashes,  and  are  borne  by  covered 
drains  to  four  deep  wells  placed  at  equal  distances 
outside  the  towers,  where,  by  passing  through  sand 
and  charcoal,  they  are  purified  before  entering  the 
ground.  Rich  and  poor  thus  meet  together  on  a  final 
level  of  equality,  and  observe  the  injunction  of  their 
religion,  that  "  Mother  earth  shall  not  be  defiled." 

The  surrounding  gardens  form  a  cemetery,  the 
beauty,  solemnity,  and  peacefulness  of  which  bear 
fitting  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  dead,  and 
cause  the  sight-seeking  visitor  to  forget,  in  his 
admiration  of  the  reverence  with  which  this  admir- 
able and  most  sanitary  system  is  carried  out,  his 
first  feeling  of  repulsion  and  the  sight  of  the  grue- 
some birds  perched  above  him  in  attitudes  of  con- 
tinual expectancy. 

Among  all  the  various  races  in  the  world  the 
Parsees  stand  unique.  Somewhere  back  in  the  dim 
prehistoric  ages,  their  ancestors  formed  one  of  the 
greatest  of  Asiatic  nations,  having  their  home  in 


50  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

what  is  now  Persia,  where  they  ruled  in  magnifi- 
cence and  glory.  Many  centuries  before  the  opening 
of  the  Christian  era,  their  religion  was  founded  by 
Zoroaster  —  a  monotheistic  faith  based  on  the  en- 
lightened principle  of  a  single  right-loving  deity,  the 
maker,  preserver,  and  ruler  of  the  universe,  and 
teaching  the  advanced  doctrine  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  body.  When,  in  the  seventh  century,  A.  D., 
the  Persian  Empire  was  destroyed  by  the  Saracens, 
and  the  great  mass  of  the  nation  forced  to  adopt 
Islamism,  a  small  number  still  adhered  to  the  Zoro- 
astrian  faith,  and  in  order  to  escape  persecution  fled 
into  the  Persian  province  of  Korasan,  whence  they 
eventually  migrated  into  India.  To-day  the  num- 
ber of  Parsees  all  told  scarcely  reaches  one  hundred 
thousand  souls,  of  which  over  seventy-five  per  cent 
are  said  to  live  in  the  Bombay  Presidency,  and 
nearly  fifty  thousand  in  the  city  of  Bombay  itself. 
The  extraordinary  thing  is  that,  through  all  these 
centuries,  while  living  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  all- 
absorbing  Hindu  population,  this  handful  of  people 
has  remained  unabsorbed,  retaining  its  individuality 
and  handing  down  its  customs,  characteristics,  and 
religion  from  generation  to  generation  in  essentially 
the  same  form  in  which  they  were  received  from 
its  Persian  ancestors  ages  ago. 

In  point  of  education  and  business  ability,  the 


BOMBAY  51 

Parsees  stand  preeminently  at  the  head  of  all  the 
races  of  Western  India,  many  of  them  being  among 
the  wealthiest  merchants  in  India,  while  others 
have  won  high  positions  in  the  government,  and 
their  universal  liberality  is  well  known  in  Bombay, 
where  numberless  public  buildings,  hospitals,  and 
colleges  have  been  endowed  by  their  public-spirited 
generosity.  It  is  indeed  greatly  to  their  credit  that 
the  one  hundred  thousand  followers  of  Zoroaster, 
who  still  tend  the  sacred  flame,  should,  in  spite  of 
their  numerical  insignificance,  play  so  large  a  part 
in  the  development  of  India. 

The  streets  and  buildings  of  Bombay  may  be 
lightly  passed  over,  for  splendid  as  is  the  "  Queen  of 
Cities,"  she  is  by  no  means  typical  of  India:  the 
hand  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  rules  supreme ;  her  great 
public  edifices,  her  shops,  her  churches,  imposing  as 
they  are,  would  be  as  much  in  place  in  London  or 
New  York  as  out  here  in  the  East. 

Then,  too,  one  has  no  great  enthusiasm  for  a  place 
where  for  a  month  one  has  been  flat  on  one's  back  in 
bed,  with  a  temperature  somewhat  too  high  for 
either  convenience  or  safety;  for  the  fever,  which 
on  my  departure  from  Singapore  had  appeared 
to  be  cured,  had  on  my  arrival  in  Bombay  come  on 
again  with  redoubled  intensity,  and  quickly  laid  me 
low.  If  these  pages  are  ever  glanced  at  by  Mr. 


52  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

William  Thomas  Fee,  formerly  American  consul- 
general  in  Bombay,  I  wish  here  to  express  my  grati- 
tude to  him  for  his  most  kindly  interest  in  my  wel- 
fare during  those  unpleasant  weeks,  and  to  thank 
him  most  heartily  for  having  on  his  own  initiative 
looked  up  and  interested  himself  in  a  temporarily 
helpless  American  citizen. 

When,  on  December  25,  after  a  solitary  bowl  of 
soup  for  a  Christmas  dinner,  I  had  gathered 
strength  enough  to  take  the  express  for  the  north, 
and  two  days  later  descended  at  Jaipore,  the  prin- 
cipal city  of  Rajputana,  I  found  myself  at  last  in 
true  Indian  surroundings,  and  began  to  realize  the 
fascination  of  that  most  fascinating  of  all  countries. 

Let  no  one  labor  under  the  delusion  that  India  is 
always  hot.  On  the  morning  of  my  arrival  in  Jaipore 
I  should  have  been  mightily  glad  of  a  fur  coat. 
Moreover,  Indian  trains  have  a  way  of  invariably 
arriving  at  important  places  at  hours  in  keeping 
with  the  paganism  of  the  country.  The  train 
reached  Jaipore  before  sunrise  of  a  bitter  cold 
December  day,  and  so  frozen  was  I  by  the  time  I 
reached  the  hotel,  that  it  was  necessary  to  devote 
the  hours  between  chota-hazri  and  breakfast  to  sit- 
ting close  to  an  open  fire  before  I  was  sufficiently 
thawed  out  to  be  capable  of  walking.  Then,  when 
the  sun  was  well  up,  we  started  out  to  see  the  city. 


JAIPORE  53 

Of  all  the  cities  of  India,  Jaipore,  from  the  point 
of  view  of  life  and  color,  leaves  with  one  the  clearest 
and  most  lasting  impressions.  It  is  not  the  Maha- 
raja's palace,  gardens,  or  stables  that  one  recalls, 
though  they  are  striking,  nor  the  Albert  Museum, 
though  that  too  is  of  the  greatest  interest ;  nor  yet 
is  it  the  architecture  of  the  regular  blocks  of  plaster 
houses,  which  is  monotonous  and  commonplace :  it 
is  the  whole  city  itself,  the  great  broad-s  tree  ted, 
wall-inclosed  city,  with  its  ring  of  encircling  hills 
and  its  seven  great  gates,  hiving  with  life  and 
gaiety,  that  impresses  one  with  its  charm.  Imagine, 
if  you  can,  a  street  of  such  length  and  breadth  that 
the  avenues  of  our  greatest  cities  would  appear 
small  beside  it,  and  two  far-reaching  lines  of  flat- 
topped  plaster  houses,  colored  —  of  all  colors  in  the 
rainbow  —  a  brilliant  pink,  forming  with  the  in- 
tensely blue  sky  above  and  the  reddish  earth  below 
a  combination  of  hues  which  in  anything  but  nature 
would  jar  atrociously,  but  which  here  combine  in 
the  most  pleasing  harmony;  imagine  a  throng  of 
natives  of  the  most  varied  castes,  continually  min- 
gling and  remingling  like  the  bits  of  glass  in  a  kalei- 
doscope, every  caste  being  represented  by  a  dis- 
tinctive color  or  shade  of  turban,  and  every  man 
with  some  gay  blanket  or  lui  thrown  about  his 
shoulders;  imagine  a  continuously  passing  stream 


54  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

of  every  manner  of  beast  of  burden,  —  gorgeously 
tattooed  camels  and  elephants,  bullocks,  donkeys, 
and  water-buffaloes,  goats  and  homeless  pariah 
dogs  innumerable,  lazy  sacred  cows  wandering 
across  the  street  in  utter  disregard  of  the  respectful 
but  impeded  traffic,  gray  apes  galore  swarming  on 
the  housetops,  imagine  all  this,  and  add  to  it  the 
noise  of  creaking  wheels,  the  clang  of  brass  cymbals, 
the  cries  of  vendors,  the  hum  of  the  market-place, 
and  you  will  understand  a  little  why  Jaipore  is 
fascinating. 

On  the  morning  after  my  arrival,  we  started  by 
carriage  for  the  deserted  city  of  Amber,  some  five 
miles  distant,  which  previous  to  the  founding  of 
Jaipore  by  the  Maharaja  Siwai  Jai  Singh  in  1728  — 
due  to  a  lack  of  water  at  his  previous  residence,  it 
is  said  —  was  the  capital  of  Rajputana.  The  colors 
of  Jaipore,  as  we  hurried  through  it,  impressed  me 
even  more  than  on  the  day  before.  It  was  bitterly 
cold,  and  the  natives  squatted  in  circles  in  the  road 
about  small  fires,  completely  hidden  in  their  gaudy 
comforters.  The  sky  seemed  bluer  than  ever,  and 
the  pink  blocks  of  houses  stood  out  clearly  against 
it  in  remarkable  contrast.  Soon  we  passed  out  of 
the  city  and  down  a  dusty  road,  with  ruined  houses 
and  temples,  overgrown  with  cactus,  on  either  side, 
where  we  were  able  to  see  the  hills  which  rise 


STREET   SCENES    IN   JAIPORE 


AMBER  55 

abruptly  on  three  sides  of  Jaipore  and  are  crowned 
by  the  ancient  city  wall,  with  fortifications  and  tur- 
rets at  all  the  highest  points.  The  carriage  takes  one 
only  to  the  end  of  the  level,  where  one  is  conveyed 
by  bullock-cart  or  elephant  up  the  hill  to  Amber. 
As  we  reached  the  top  of  the  pass  and  started  down 
into  the  next  valley,  the  whole  deserted  city  lay 
stretched  before  us,  its  houses  and  temples  crum- 
bling and  overgrown  with  weeds.  Above  rose 
abruptly  another  hill,  and  on  its  top  in  imposing 
prominence  towered  the  ancient  palace  of  the 
Maharajas.  The  elephant  eventually  dropped  us 
in  the  courtyard,  whence  we  passed  through  the 
many  halls  and  rooms  of  the  palace,  admiring 
especially  the  fine  inlaid  work  of  the  walls,  which 
was  always  the  strong  point  of  the  ancient  Mogul 
designers.  It  is  said  that  an  underground  passage 
connects  this  palace  with  the  one  in  Jaipore,  six 
miles  away;  so  that  in  former  days  the  Maharaja, 
if  attacked,  could  flee  to  what  was  then  his  summer 
country  home,  but  this  assertion  I  could  not  per- 
sonally verify. 

After  seeing  the  palace  and  obtaining  a  magnifi- 
cent view  of  Amber  and  the  surrounding  country 
from  its  topmost  turrets,  we  descended  to  a  live 
temple  to  Krishna,  where  worship  was  going  on. 
The  god's  breakfast-bowl  had  just  been  removed 


56  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

by  the  priest,  a  stalwart,  clear-eyed  young  man,  so 
nearly  naked  that  I  feared  for  the  susceptibilities 
of  the  ladies  I  was  accompanying;  and  a  most 
frightful  din  of  tom-toms  and  great  bells  was  an- 
nouncing the  fact  of  the  deity's  repletion  in  a  man- 
ner which,  considering  the  desertedness  of  the  city, 
seemed  to  me  superfluous  as  well  as  painful. 

That  night  I  departed  for  Agra.  The  compart- 
ment was  all  too  full,  and  among  my  fellow  passen- 
gers was  an  extraordinary  individual  covered  with 
jewels,  especially  about  his  ears,  in  front  of  which 
the  hair  hung  long,  having  with  him  an  outfit  of 
bow  and  arrows,  a  sword,  and,  of  all  incongruous 
articles,  a  bag  of  golf-clubs.  My  boy,  James  An- 
thony by  name,  informed  me  that  he  was  a  king, 
but  of  what,  heaven  only  knew.  The  train  was 
scheduled  to  go  to  Agra,  but  about  one  A.  M.,  long 
after  we  had  retired,  James  awoke  me  with  the 
pleasing  news  that,  on  account  of  the  pressure  of 
travel  northwards,  the  train's  destination  would  be 
changed  to  Delhi,  to  accommodate  the  many  pas- 
sengers who  had  been  unable  to  find  accommoda- 
tions on  the  regular  Delhi  express.  A  sigh  of  relief 
went  up  from  the  Englishmen  and  the  "king," 
while  I,  cursing,  had  to  dress  in  the  cold  and  wait  on 
a  wind-swept  station  platform  for  the  next  train  to 
Agra. 


VIEW   FROM  THE   BATTLEMENTS  OF  THE  DESERTED 
1'Al.ACE   OF  AMBER 


THE   DESERTED   PALACE   OF   AMBER 


AGRA  57 

Before  going  to  Agra,  you  must  learn  something 
of  the  ancient  Mogul  kings  who  built  and  beautified 
it,  for  then,  besides  the  keen  aesthetic  pleasure  you 
will  have  merely  in  beholding  the  works  of  archi- 
tecture which  they  have  handed  down  to  posterity, 
you  will  know  a  little  of  the  romances  which  in- 
spired these  works,  and  will  more  thoroughly  ap- 
preciate the  delicacy  and  matchless  charm  of  their 
conception.  For  the  mosques  and  tombs  of  Agra 
are  undeniably  the  most  beautiful  monuments  ever 
erected  by  man.  It  has  well  been  said  that  the 
Moguls  designed  Titans  and  finished  like  jewellers; 
but  they  did  more ;  they  embodied  in  their  works 
the  delicacy,  refinement,  and  effeminacy  of  the 
women  who  in  almost  every  instance  inspired  their 
efforts,  and  whom  in  many  cases  their  monuments 
were  to  commemorate. 

The  high-water  mark  of  the  Mogul  dynasty  lasted 
through  the  reigns  of  three  great  kings,  —  Akbar 
the  Great,  Jehanghir,  and  Shah  Jehan,  —  and  it 
was  during  these  reigns  that  the  Indian  architecture 
reached  its  perfection  and  that  the  palaces,  mosques, 
and  tombs  of  Agra  were  built.  Akbar's  works  were 
inspired  by  a  woman,  and  his  son  Jehanghir's  reign 
was  a  success  only  through  his  devotion  to  the 
beautiful  and  brilliant  Nur  Jehan.  Shah  Jehan, 
Jehanghir's  successor,  had  many  wives,  but  one 


58  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

whom  he  loved  above  them  all ;  and  it  is  to  the 
romance  of  that  marriage  that  the  world  owes  its 
possession  of  that  one  unrivalled  work  of  architec- 
ture, the  Taj  Mahal.  They  were  great  and  powerful 
men,  these  Moguls,  and  some  of  them  were  among 
the  wisest  and  most  enlightened  of  monarchs. 
Akbar  the  Great  stands  preeminently  above  them 
all.  He  reigned  from  1556  to  1605,  and  it  is  said 
that  in  physical  strength  and  prowess,  personal 
charm,  benevolence  of  character  and  broadness  of 
views,  he  was  the  greatest  of  living  men.  But  with 
all  his  strong  and  statesmanlike  qualities  he  was  a 
true  artist,  and  it  is  to  his  refined  taste  and  appre- 
ciation of  the  beautiful  that  we  are  indebted  for 
many  of  India's  greatest  monuments.  It  was  he 
who  removed  his  capital  from  Delhi  to  Agra,  and 
spent  his  life  in  making  it  the  most  beautiful  city  in 
India. 

I  spent  the  first  day  of  my  stay  at  Agra  rambling 
through  the  big  Fort,  which  was  begun  by  Akbar,  and 
which,  always  excepting  the  Kremlin  at  Moscow, 
is  without  doubt  the  grandest  citadel  in  the  world. 
It  is  a  city  in  itself,  being  two  miles  and  a  quarter 
in  circumference,  with  walls  seventy  feet  high  and 
thirty  feet  thick,  and  protected  by  a  correspondingly 
broad  and  deep  moat.  The  palace  which  it  incloses 
wanders  over  a  vast  extent  of  ground,  each  succeed- 


AGRA  59 

ing  king  apparently  having  built  for  himself  and  his 
wives  entirely  new  apartments ;  and  as  there  were 
many  kings  and  very  many  wives,  the  halls,  mosques, 
chambers,  and  secret  passages  of  the  palace  seem 
to  have  no  end.  It  is  here  that  you  first  begin  to 
appreciate  the  marvellous  workmanship  of  the 
Mogul  designers  and  decorators.  Nothing  could  be 
more  charmingly  and  delicately  carried  out  than  the 
carving  of  the  marble  walls  and  the  inlaid  work  of 
every  color  of  stone, — agate,  jasper,  lapis-lazuli, 
malachite,  and  hosts  of  others,  —  with  more  pre- 
cious stones  frequently  finding  place  in  the  centre  of 
some  slab  or  panel.  The  finest  precision,  the  most 
perfect  taste,  the  truest  artistic  touch,  is  universally 
evident  in  their  work  and  reminds  one  continually 
of  the  mosaics  of  Italy. 

This  is  especially  marked  in  the  apartments  set 
aside  for  the  Sultan's  zenana.  The  ladies  of  the 
court  had  little  liberty  in  those  days,  but  their 
prison,  if  it  could  be  called  such,  was  made  as  beau- 
tiful and  attractive  as  taste  and  money  could  ac- 
complish. They  could  sit  in  their  rooms  high  up 
above  the  battlements  of  the  fort,  and,  protected 
by  lace-like  marble  screens,  could  look  out  over  the 
city  and  watch  the  busy  life  below.  They  had 
courtyards  for  walking,  and  gardens  and  great 
fountain-baths,  all  laid  out  high  above  the  public 


60  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

part  of  the  palace,  and  all  carefully  shut  off  from 
the  sight  of  man,  save  for  the  Sultan  and  the 
eunuchs  who  guarded  them. 

Of  course  these  palaces  seem  a  little  bare  now  and 
give  no  impression  of  the  comfort  and  luxury  which 
we  know  the  Mogul  kings  loved  above  all  else.  But 
one  must  let  his  imagination  rove  a  little,  and  pic- 
ture the  halls  and  chambers  furnished,  as  they  must 
once  have  been,  with  magnificent  Persian  carpets 
and  thick  curtains  and  draperies,  beautiful  tapes- 
tries, luxurious  divans  and  cushions,  and  soft  rugs 
to  deaden  the  sound  of  feet  on  marble  floors,  which 
now  echo  rather  mournfully  through  the  corridors. 
History  tells  us,  too,  that  the  sultans  and  their  wives 
dressed  in  unimagined  splendor,  that  their  robes 
were  of  the  finest  silk  and  satin  and  embroidered 
with  gold,  and  that  they  wore  jewels  of  untold 
value.  It  is  not  surprising  that  the  apartments  of 
their  palaces  should  seem  unending ;  in  the  zenanas 
alone  the  sultanas  had  five  thousand  women  around 
them,  including  representatives  of  every  profession 
and  trade,  —  artists,  musicians,  seamstresses,  em- 
broiderers, hair-dressers,  cooks,  and  innumerable 
other  servants,  besides  the  wives  themselves  and 
some  three  hundred  concubines.  When  you  add  to 
this  the  number  of  the  Sultan's  suite  and  servants, 
and  the  soldiers  who  guarded  the  palace,  you  can 


AGRA  6 1 

imagine  to  some  extent  the  proportions  of  a  building 
which  could  house  so  vast  a  throng.  Indeed,  one 
needs  a  guide  to  explore  the  palace  at  Agra. 

Every  palace  has  its  private  chapel,  and  the 
palace  of  Akbar  is  no  exception  to  the  rule ;  but  no 
king  ever  knelt  to  pray  in  a  more  beautiful  spot 
than  the  interior  of  the  Moti  Musjid,  or  Pearl 
Mosque,  at  Agra.  It  is  the  most  exquisite  little 
building  of  its  kind  in  existence;  the  marble  of 
which  it  is  constructed  is  of  the  purest  white,  with- 
out flaw  or  tint,  inlaid  here  and  there  with  verses 
from  the  Koran  in  precious  stones  or  black  marble. 
The  roof,  which  bears  three  domes  and  innumerable 
minarets,  is  supported  by  graceful  marble  arches, 
the  western  side  of  the  mosque,  which  looks  toward 
Mecca,  being  open  and  facing  on  a  courtyard  where, 
in  a  great  marble  tank,  the  faithful  performed  their 
ablutions  before  going  to  prayer. 

Akbar  himself  sleeps  in  a  beautiful  mausoleum  on 
the  road  to  Delhi  from  Agra.  At  the  head  of  his 
cenotaph  stands  a  marble  column,  finely  carved, 
and  in  the  centre  of  the  top  is  a  rough  hole,  the  pre- 
sence of  which,  considering  the  flawlessness  of  its 
surroundings,  is  a  cause  for  surprise.  It  once  was 
filled  by  what  was  then  the  greatest  diamond  in  the 
world,  the  Kohinoor,  which  the  Emperor  Jehanghir 
had  had  imbedded  there  after  Akbar's  death,  in 


62  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

order  that  it  might  be  admired  by  the  thousands  of 
people  who  made  pilgrimages  to  his  father's  grave. 
It  remained  there  untouched  for  seventy-one  years, 
guarded  only  by  the  single  attendant  of  the  tomb. 
Only  in  1737,  when  the  Shah  of  Persia  invaded  India, 
and  sacked  the  palaces  and  tombs  of  the  Moguls, 
was  it  carried  away,  eventually  to  find  its  way  to 
England,  where  it  is  now  one  of  the  chief  jewels  in 
the  British  crown. 

On  the  day  following  my  exploration  of  the  Fort 
and  Palace,  I  crossed  the  River  Jumna  to  the  tomb 
of  Itimad-ud-Daulah,  which  is  one  of  the  master- 
pieces of  Mogul  architecture.  Itimad-ud-Daulah 
was  the  prime  minister  of  Akbar;  from  an  obscure 
Persian  traveller  he  had  been  raised  to  the  highest 
office  in  the  Empire,  and  he  filled  it  with  ability  and 
wisdom  until  his  death.  His  daughter  was  that  bril- 
liant and  beautiful  lady,  Nur  Jehan  Begam,  the 
Sultana  of  Jehanghir,  who  became  not  only  empress 
in  her  own  right,  but  the  most  powerful  influence 
in  the  East  as  well,  and  who,  during  her  husband's 
reign,  controlled  the  destinies  of  all  India.  It  was 
she  who  built  the  famous  mausoleum  which  bears 
her  father's  name  and  which  was  erected  to  his 
memory. 

The  tomb  of  Itimad-ud-Daulah  lies  in  a  garden  on 
the  bank  of  the  River  Jumna,  a  mile  and  a  half  from 


AGRA  63 

the  city,  and  from  it  can  be  seen  the  domes  and 
minarets  of  the  Taj.  Like  the  Taj  it  is  built  of  the 
purest  white  marble,  almost  every  square  inch  of 
which  is  inlaid  with  colored  stones.  The  towers 
which  rise  at  the  four  corners  are  of  the  most  grace- 
ful design,  and  around  the  top  of  the  tomb,  inclos- 
ing the  towers  and  the  central  pavilion,  runs  a 
perforated  marble  screen  of  the  most  delicate  lace- 
like  structure.  Inside  are  the  tombs  of  Itimad-ud- 
Daulah  and  his  wife,  and  in  chambers  opening  from 
the  central  one  repose  the  remains  of  five  members 
of  his  family. 

But  let  us  turn  to  the  supreme  centrepiece  of 
Agra's  architecture.  Shah  Jehan,  as  I  have  said, 
had  one  wife  whom  he  loved  above  them  all.  This 
good  woman,  whose  name  has  come  down  to  us  as 
Mumtaz-i-Mahal,  "The  Pride  of  the  Palace,"  made 
her  husband  happy  for  eighteen  years,  during  which 
time,  it  is  said,  he  had  no  other  wife,  and  finally 
died  in  giving  birth,  history  tells  us,  to  her  four- 
teenth baby.  The  following  year  Shah  Jehan  began 
the  building  of  the  Taj  Mahal,  which  means  "The 
Crown  of  the  Palaces,"  and  for  eighteen  years  kept 
twenty  thousand  unpaid  workmen  employed  upon 
his  wife's  memorial.  The  original  architect  is  not 
known,  but  among  the  designers  were  a  Frenchman, 
an  Italian,  and  a  Persian,  showing  that  the  best 


64  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

talent  of  the  world  was  brought  to  assist  in  its  con- 
struction. Finally,  in  1648,  the  work  was  finished, 
and  when  Shah  Jehan  died,  his  body  was  placed 
beside  that  of  his  wife  in  pure  white  marble  tombs, 
sheltered  from  the  untempered  light  outside  by  a 
screen  of  beautiful  pierced  marble  tracery,  which 
allows  the  reflection  of  the  glaring  Indian  sun  to  sift 
gently  into  the  interior  of  the  mausoleum,  and 
insures  by  day  a  perpetual  twilight  in  keeping  with 
the  solemnity  of  the  surroundings. 

It  was  fitting  that  the  Emperor  should  have 
commemorated  the  perfect  love  of  his  marriage 
with  a  monument  to  which  alone,  even  to-day,  the 
word  perfect  may  be  applied,  —  perfect  in  propor- 
tion, perfect  in  detail,  perfect  in  the  exquisite 
beauty,  grace,  and  delicacy  of  its  conception.  It  is 
useless  to  attempt  to  describe  the  Taj ;  poets  have 
raved  over  it  during  the  centuries  of  its  existence, 
prosaic  guide-books  have  set  down  its  dimensions 
and  enumerated  its  cupolas  and  minarets,  innumer- 
able photographers  and  painters  have  reproduced 
its  form.  But  neither  pen  nor  camera  nor  brush  has 
ever  been  able  to  convey  the  faintest  impression 
of  its  true  beauty,  the  gracefulness  of  its  design,  the 
softness  of  its  symmetry,  the  delicacy  of  its  decora- 
tion. Mr.  W.  E.  Curtis,  in  his  book  on  ''Modern 
India"  sums  it  up  in  a  particularly  pleasing  figure: 


AGRA  65 

"  One  might  as  well  attempt  to  describe  a  Beethoven 
symphony,"  he  says,  "for  if  architecture  be  frozen 
music,  as  some  poet  has  said,  the  Taj  Mahal  is  the 
supremest  and  sublimest  composition  that  human 
genius  has  produced." 

When  you  drive  through  the  wood  which  leads 
to  its  entrance,  pass  under  the  red  sandstone  gate- 
way, and  stand  at  last  in  the  gardens  which  sur- 
round the  tomb,  you  will  perhaps  not  at  first  appre- 
ciate its  full  value.  You  will  regard  it  from  each 
corner  of  the  gardens,  and  then  enter  to  examine 
the  mural  decorations  and  the  pierced  marble 
screens  and  the  cenotaphs,  of  which  as  usual  the 
more  imposing  imitation  ones  lie  above,  and  those 
which  actually  hold  the  bodies  of  the  Emperor  and 
his  wife  in  a  sepulchral  chamber  below.  But  only 
when  you  have  finished  examining  its  details,  have 
seated  yourself  on  one  of  the  benches  in  the  garden 
before  its  eastern  face,  and  there,  hour  after  hour, 
in  the  peacefulness  and  silence  of  the  surroundings 
have  let  the  effect  of  the  tomb  impress  itself  upon 
your  senses  as  a  whole,  while  the  fading  afternoon 
sunlight  slowly  shifts  the  lights  and  shades  and 
varies  the  tints  upon  its  flawless  marble,  —  only 
then  will  you  wholly  understand  why  the  Taj  Mahal 
is  called  the  most  beautiful  of  all  buildings. 


CHAPTER   IV 

IMPRESSIONS  OF  NORTHERN  INDIA:  CAWNPORE,  LUCK- 
NOW,    BENARES 

]HE  scene  changes  wholly  when  you 
move  from  Agra  to  Cawnpore;  from 
the  lavish  days  of  the  Moguls  you  pass 
over  a  couple  of  centuries  to  a  time 
when  India  had  come  under  British  control,  and 
you  are  appalled  to  remember  that  those  few  months 
which  made  Cawnpore  famous  were  not  back  some- 
where in  a  half-veiled  mediaeval  era,  but  were  in 
the  lifetime  of  our  own  fathers.  You  find  yourself 
in  imagination  living  through  those  dark  days  of 
1857 ;  and  as  the  guide  leads  you  from  landmark  to 
landmark,  you  picture  all  too  vividly  the  scenes  of 
outrage  which  took  place  on  that  cheerless  sun- 
scorched  landscape  but  half  a  century  ago.  The  ar- 
chitecture has  changed  too ;  mausoleums,  mosques, 
and  palaces  have  vanished,  and  in  their  place  your 
eye  is  held  only  by  two  quite  modern  edifices.  One 
is  a  little  red-brick  chapel,  such  as  you  would  see  in 
an  English  village,  and  the  other  a  marble  statue 
representing  the  Angel  of  the  Resurrection,  clasping 


THE   ANGEL   OF  THE   RESURRECTION 

Memorial  over  the  Massacre  Well  at  Cawnpore 


CAWNPORE  67 

two  palm  branches  across  her  breast,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  marble  gothic  screen,  which  stands  in 
such  a  grove  as  might  skirt  some  cemetery  at  home. 
The  church  is  dedicated  "  To  the  Glory  of  God  and 
in  memory  of  more  than  a  thousand  people  who 
met  their  deaths  hard  by  betwixt  6th  June  and 
I5th  July,  1857"-;  the  monument,  "Sacred  to  the 
perpetual  memory  of  a  great  company  of  Christian 
people,  chiefly  women  and  children,  who  near  this 
spot  were  cruelly  murdered  by  the  followers  of  the 
rebel  Nana  Dhundu  Pant,  of  Bithur,  and  cast,  the 
dying  with  the  dead,  into  the  well  below,  on  the 
XVth  day  of  July,  MDCCCLVII."  Both  com- 
memorate the  most  terrible  massacres  of  the  Indian 
Mutiny,  which  have  made  Cawnpore  undoubtedly 
the  saddest  spot  on  earth. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  desolate  and  pa- 
thetic landscape  than  the  scene  of  these  unparalleled 
tragedies.  An  empty,  brown,  sun-baked  plain  ex- 
tends in  all  directions ;  one  scarcely  can  find  shade 
from  the  scorching  Indian  sun,  and  a  fine  burning 
dust  fills  the  atmosphere.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  this 
shadeless  plain  that  the  British  garrison,  composed 
largely  of  women  and  children,  held  out  for  over 
three  weeks  in  the  middle  of  summer,  under  con- 
tinuous fire  from  the  rebel  troops. 

The  siege  began  on  June  6.   Sir  Hugh  Wheeler, 


68  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

in  command  of  the  British,  had  thrown  up  five- 
foot  intrenchments  about  the  cantonment  and  had 
lodged  therein  some  eight  hundred  persons,  of 
which  number  the  wives  and  children  of  soldiers 
and  civilians  formed  a  large  percentage.  These 
were  gathered  in  two  bungalows  in  the  centre  of  the 
intrenchments,  which,  during  the  three  weeks  of 
the  siege,  were  pounded  day  and  night  by  the  grape- 
shot  and  cannon-balls  of  the  rebels.  Their  rations 
consisted  of  a  handful  of  flour  and  split  peas  daily, 
increased  only  when  some  horse  or  dog  strayed  into 
the  cantonment,  and  they  suffered  fearfully  from 
thirst,  their  only  water  being  drawn  from  the  well 
outside  by  brave  men  who  took  turns  in  sacrificing 
their  lives  to  alleviate  the  pain  of  the  women  and 
children  within. 

Finally,  on  June  25,  the  Nana  offered  to  those 
who  would  surrender  a  safe  journey  down  the  river. 
They  marched  to  the  Ganges,  this  ragged,  half- 
starved  band,  and  there,  from  the  steps  of  a  washing 
ghat,  prepared  to  enter  the  thatch-covered  boats 
which  lay  in  readiness  for  their  passage  to  freedom. 
The  oars  were  in  the  locks  and  the  native  crews  sat 
ready  to  man  them.  After  their  weeks  of  anxiety 
and  suffering  the  thought  that  their  troubles  were 
past  and  that  now,  after  all,  they  were  to  see  home 
and  friends  once  more,  must  have  given  them  a 


CAWNPORE  69 

moment  of  actual  joy  such  as  they  had  never  ex- 
pected to  experience  again.  Major  Vibart,  now  in 
command  since  the  wounding  of  General  Wheeler, 
stood  with  his  staff  to  the  left  of  the  ghat ;  the  Nana 
was  on  the  right.  Apparently  no  other  human  be- 
ings were  present  to  witness  the  commencement 
of  their  journey. 

But  if  they  could  have  looked  behind  the  walls  of 
the  ghat  and  through  the  brush  that  skirted  the 
river-banks,  if  they  could  have  had  but  one  glimpse 
of  the  cannon  trained  upon  the  boats  which  they 
were  about  to  enter,  and  the  rows  of  silent  rebel 
soldiers  waiting  for  a  signal  from  their  chief,  who 
knows  in  what  respects  the  history  of  Cawnpore 
might  have  been  altered.  The  men  still  had  their 
arms,  and  desperation  lends  might  even  to  the  few. 
They  would  at  least  have  died  in  action. 

But  this  was  not  to  be.  There  was  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  Nana's  good  faith.  Up  to  the  beginning 
of  the  siege  he  had  professed  friendship  for  the  Brit- 
ish, and  it  was  but  rational  to  suppose,  either  that 
he  was  now  repentant,  or  that  policy  was  prompting 
him  to  friendly  action.  The  boats  were  entered,  and 
the  word  given  by  Major  Vibart  to  shove  off.  At 
that  moment  a  bugle  sounded,  there  was  a  flash 
from  the  bank,  and  volley  after  volley  of  ball  and 
bullets  was  poured  into  the  helpless  mass  of  English 


70  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

men  and  women  below.  They  tried  to  push  off  from 
the  sand-bar,  but  the  crews  had  unshipped  the  oars 
and  plunged  with  them  to  safety  just  before  the 
signal  was  given.  Three  only  of  the  boats  managed 
to  swing  out  into  the  river,  two  of  which  grounded 
and  their  occupants  were  quickly  killed  by  grape 
and  bullets.  The  third  drifted  out  of  sight  down- 
stream. The  male  passengers  of  the  other  boats 
were  slaughtered  to  a  man,  the  soldiers  rushing  into 
the  water  and  dispatching  those  who  tried  to  swim 
away. 

The  one  hundred  and  twenty  women  and  children 
who  remained  alive,  many  of  them,  be  it  remem- 
bered, being  the  wives  of  British  officers,  who  had 
never  known  a  day's  hardship  in  their  lives,  were 
taken  by  the  Nana  back  to  the  cantonment  over  the 
same  scorching  road  which  an  hour  before  they  had 
thought  was  leading  them  to  liberty,  and  placed  in 
a  small  bungalow  with  two  rooms  twenty  by  ten 
feet,  a  couple  of  servants'  rooms  at  the  back,  and  a 
verandah  running  along  the  front.  Here  they  were 
confined  for  ten  days,  with  others  who  had  been 
captured'  about  Cawnpore,  —  two  hundred  and 
eleven  of  them,  of  whom  but  five  were  men,  — 
locked  up  in  a  house  scarcely  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate a  single  family.  There  was  no  bedding 
and  they  were  fed  on  unleavened  bread  and  lentil 


CAWNPORE  71 

soup.  Twenty-eight  died  in  those  ten  days,  and 
they  were  fortunate,  for  they  escaped  the  last  act 
of  the  tragedy  of  Cawnpore,  which  was  the  most 
terrible  of  all. 

At  five  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  July  10  it  was 
decided  that  the  entire  number  of  prisoners  should 
be  put  to  death.  The  Nana  sent  for  the  men  and 
had  them  shot  down  in  his  presence.  Then  he  di- 
rected his  Sipahis  to  shoot  the  women  and  children 
through  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  house.  Ap- 
parently they  possessed  the  one  remaining  spark  of 
humanity  which  he  lacked,  for  they  refused.  They 
were  threatened  with  death  at  the  cannon's  mouth, 
but  even  then  they  purposely  avoided  aiming  at 
their  wretched  victims.  The  Nana  laughed  and  sent 
to  Cawnpore  town  for  butchers  to  come  with  their 
knives,  and  the  massacre  was  accomplished.  In  the 
morning  three  women  could  still  speak  and  several 
children  were  unharmed.  They  were  taken,  the  dy- 
ing with  the  dead,  and  thrown  into  the  well  before 
the  house.  And  when  Havelock's  column  arrived 
the  next  morning,  it  was  one  day  too  late. 

It  is  interesting  to  follow  the  course  of  the  single 
boat  which  escaped  from  the  Massacre  Ghat  and 
drifted  down  the  Ganges,  for  it  was  four  of  that 
indomitable  crew  who  alone  out  of  all  the  eight 
hundred  of  the  siege  reached  safety  and  carried  the 


72  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

story  of  Cawnpore  to  the  outside  world.  The  boat's 
rudder  was  shot  away,  and  without  oars  steering 
was  impossible;  but  by  noon  it  had  drifted  out  of 
range  of  the  Nana's  guns.  Infantrymen  followed  it 
along  the  bank,  firing  whenever  it  swung  within 
range.  At  night  it  stranded  on  a  sand-bank,  and  a 
burning  boat  was  sent  down,  which  however  missed 
its  mark.  Then  flights  of  arrows  tipped  with  red-hot 
charcoal  were  tried,  and  the  British  were  obliged  to 
throw  overboard  the  now  burning  thatched  top 
which  alone  had  protected  them  from  the  sun's 
fearful  intensity.  The  following  day  was  spent 
in  desperate  efforts  to  dislodge  the  boat  from  the 
sand-bars  on  which  it  continually  became  wedged ; 
a  heavy  fire  was  still  kept  up  from  the  bank,  both 
Major  Vibart  and  Captain  Moore,  who  had  been 
the  executive  officer  and  the  leading  figure  for 
bravery  during  the  siege,  being  wounded  while  at 
work  in  the  water.  At  sunset  a  boat  containing 
sixty  armed  rebels  approached,  but  with  extraor- 
dinary spirit  the  British  rushed  upon  them  and 
completely  routed  the  entire  band,  leaving  few 
alive  to  escape.  On  the  following  day  Lieutenants 
Thomson  and  Delafosse,  with  Sergeant  Grady  and 
eleven  privates,  waded  ashore  to  drive  back  the 
rebels  who  were  firing  from  the  bank.  When  they 
returned  to  the  river  the  boat  had  disappeared.  It 


CAWNPORE  73 

was  eventually  captured,  and  the  eighty  occupants 
returned  to  Cawnpore,  the  men,  and  one  woman 
who  refused  to  leave  them,  being  immediately  shot, 
while  the  women  and  children  were  sent  to  the 
bungalow  to  join  the  other  survivors  of  the  ghat 
massacre. 

Meanwhile  the  little  band  of  thirteen  on  shore 
wandered  along  the  bank,  with  bare  heads  and  feet, 
and  continually  under  fire  from  natives  who  how- 
ever dared  not  close  in,  till  they  came  to  a  large  body 
of  rebels  in  front  of  a  temple  on  the  bank.  Troops 
were  posted  on  the  opposite  shore  to  shoot  them 
down  should  they  attempt  to  swim.  They  were 
completely  surrounded.  Thomson  gave  the  order 
to  rush  the  temple,  which  they  did  with  success, 
Sergeant  Grady,  however,  being  killed  as  he  entered. 
The  men  then  kneeled  in  the  doorway  behind  their 
bayonets,  on  which  the  foremost  rebels,  pushed  for- 
ward by  those  behind,  fell  transfixed  and  formed  a 
rampart  of  bodies  to  shield  the  remaining  British 
soliders.  Every  method  was  taken  to  dislodge  the 
remaining  twelve;  undermining  the  temple  failed; 
then  the  natives  attempted  to  set  fire  to  the  building 
with  burning  fagots,  without  success.  Finally  bags 
of  gunpowder  were  thrown  on  the  embers,  over 
which  the  British  charged  with  their  bare  feet,  and 
by  means  of  their  bayonets  seven  of  them  succeeded 


74  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

in  reaching  the  river-bank.  They  plunged  into  the 
water,  where  two  more  were  shot  and  one,  giving  up 
exhausted,  was  beaten  to  death  on  the  bank.  But 
Thomson  and  Delafosse  and  privates  Murphy  and 
Sullivan,  naked  and  passing  several  alligators  on  the 
way,  swam  and  floated  for  three  hours,  when  they 
finally  came  to  a  friendly  village,  where,  exhausted 
from  hunger,  fatigue,  and  suffering,  they  were 
kindly  treated  and  eventually  conducted  to  safety. 
Thus  only  four  out  of  eight  hundred  escaped. 

That  is  the  story  of  Cawnpore.  As  you  wander 
through  the  intrenchments  and  down  to  the  Massa- 
cre Ghat,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  the  events  which 
took  place  on  that  quiet  landscape.  To-day  it  has  an 
air  of  peace  and  solemn  calm,  as  if  the  place  were 
in  perpetual  mourning,  the  cause  for  which  neither 
time  nor  new-made  history  could  ever  make  it  for- 
get. And  when  you  pass  to  other  surroundings  and 
are  looking  at  cheerier  scenes  and  places,  you  will 
take  away  with  you  a  little  of  the  seriousness  with 
which  even  the  shortest  stay  at  Cawnpore  must 
permanently  impress  you. 

Apart  from  its  historic  interest  there  is  nothing 
to  hold  the  visitor  at  Cawnpore ;  the  town  itself  is 
unprepossessing ;  the  narrow  streets  on  which  open 
the  booths  of  the  natives  are  bordered  by  monoto- 
nous plaster  houses,  and  the  chief  impression  one 


THE   RESIDENCY,  LUCKNOW 


THE   CAWNPORE   BAZAAR 


LUCKNOW  75 

gets  is  of  dust  everywhere  —  on  the  trees,  on  the 
buildings,  and  especially  on  the  natives.  One  must 
go  farther  East  to  find  Kipling's  "  cleaner,  greener 
land,"  and  as  for  the  "neater,  sweeter  maiden/'  the 
Punjabi  lady  can  hardly  claim  to  share  that  dis- 
tinction with  her  Burmese  sister.  But  Lucknow  as 
a  city  is  very  much  more  imposing.  The  richest 
Mohammedans  of  India  live  there,  and  they  have 
built  palaces  which,  though  monstrosities  of  archi- 
tecture, show  that  lavish  wealth  has  been  put  into 
their  construction.  The  city,  too,  is  broadly  laid  out 
and  is  interspersed  with  many  charming  parks  and 
gardens. 

I  reached  Lucknow  after  a  single  day  at  Cawn- 
pore,  and  went  to  a  hotel  which  though  second-rate 
was  the  best  I  had  yet  seen  in  India.  On  the  follow- 
ing day,  January  i,  was  celebrated  the  coronation 
of  the  new  King,  Edward  the  Seventh  being  pro- 
claimed Emperor  of  India  amidst  a  mighty  salute  of 
guns  and  the  stirring  singing  of  the  national  anthem 
by  thousands  of  troops  and  civilians  gathered  on  the 
great  parade-ground.  During  the  singing  an  Eng- 
lishman standing  near  me  noticed  a  native  gentle- 
man who,  with  his  family,  although  in  western  dress 
and  wearing  no  turban,  had  failed  to  uncover.  With 
a  "  Why  the  devil  don't  you  remove  your  hat,  sir," 
he  raised  his  stick  and  sent  the  man's  bowler  flying 


76  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

to  the  ground.  The  native,  without  even  turning  to 
see  his  assailant,  picked  up  his  hat  in  a  quiet  man- 
ner and  remained  uncovered  until  the  end  of  the 
anthem. 

The  historic  interest  of  Lucknow  centres  about 
the  Residency,  which,  though  in  ruins,  gives  the 
impression  of  neatness  and  freshness,  for  green 
lawns  extend  to  the  base  of  its  roofless  old  gray 
walls,  and  well-kept  parks  and  gardens  surround  it. 
But  every  square  foot  of  the  Residency  and  the 
other  blackened  buildings  which  were  within  the  in- 
closure  during  the  siege  is  scarred  with  the  iron  hail 
of  battle,  which  during  the  five  months  of  the  siege 
of  Lucknow  stormed  about  the  intrenchments  of  the 
British. 

The  story  of  Lucknow  is  very  different  from  that 
of  Cawnpore.  It  is  a  grim  one,  for  the  tale  of  the 
dead  far  outnumbered  the  losses  at  Cawnpore,  but 
it  is  stirring  from  start  to  finish  and  ends  in  suc- 
cess, for  the  Residency  neither  surrendered  nor  was 
taken.  Into  that  little  cluster  of  buildings  were 
gathered  nearly  three  thousand  persons ;  there  were 
seven  hundred  British  soldiers,  two  hundred  and 
twenty  European  volunteers,  seven  hundred  and 
sixty-five  faithful  natives,  and  thirteen  hundred 
non-combatants,  more  than  five  hundred  of  whom 
were  women  and  children.  On  June  30  Sir  Henry 


LUCKNOW  77 

Lawrence  went  out  to  meet  the  army  of  rebels  who, 
having  finished  their  work  at  Cawnpore,  were 
marching  on  Lucknow;  he  was  defeated  by  over- 
whelming numbers,  and  driven  back  to  the  city,  and 
the  siege  began. 

The  five  succeeding  months  were  thrilling  ones, 
for  the  stubbornness  of  the  garrison's  resistance,  the 
determination  of  the  attacks  and  counter-attacks, 
the  individual  acts  of  bravery,  for  which  many  a 
Victoria  Cross  was  awarded,  and  finally  the  gallan- 
try of  the  struggle  of  the  relieving  force  through 
the  city,  only  themselves  to  be  besieged  in  turn,  are 
unsurpassed  in  the  annals  of  war.  At  dawn  on  the 
2d  of  July  Sir  Henry  Lawrence  started  on  a  tour  of 
inspection  of  the  defences,  encouraging  the  men  and 
explaining  his  views  for  the  conduct  of  the  siege.  It 
was  very  hot,  and  on  returning  to  the  Residency 
at  8  A.  M.  he  said  that  he  would  rest  for  a  couple  of 
hours  and  then  move  to  a  safer  and  lower  room, 
since  his  own  apartment  had  been  struck  by  a  shell 
on  the  previous  day.  Half  an  hour  later,  while  he 
was  lying  on  his  bed  listening  to  a  report  by  Cap- 
tain Wilson,  a  second  shell  tore  through  the  wall, 
knocked  Wilson  down,  cut  off  the  foot  of  a  native 
servant,  and  carried  away  the  top  of  Sir  Henry's 
thigh.  He  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel  Inglis  to 
succeed  him  in  the  military  command,  gave  detailed 


78  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

instructions  for  the  conduct  of  the  defence,  calmly 
discussed  the  causes  and  mistakes  of  the  Mutiny, 
and  finally  died  at  sunrise  on  the  4th,  having  said 
that  he  wished  to  be  buried  "  without  any  fuss,  as 
became  a  British  soldier,"  and  dictated  his  epitaph, 
"Here  lies  Henry  Lawrence,  who  tried  to  do  his 
duty." 

The  following  weeks  were  occupied  with  continual 
sorties  and  attempts  to  blow  up  houses  offering 
shelter  to  the  besiegers,  which  in  many  cases  were 
carried  out  successfully  with  the  greatest  daring. 
By  September  the  garrison  had  been  reduced  by 
bullets  and  sickness  to  about  one  third  of  its  origi- 
nal number.  Cholera  and  smallpox  were  rampant, 
all  were  afflicted  with  scurvy,  a  terrible  plague  of 
flies  had  set  in,  which  was  increased  by  the  unsani- 
tary conditions  of  the  inclosure,  and  the  nervous 
strain  resulting  from  poor  food  and  incessant  anx- 
iety and  physical  exhaustion  was  beginning  to  tell 
cruelly  on  the  women  and  children. 

Meanwhile  Havelock  had  been  attempting  to 
fight  his  way  up  from  Cawnpore,  but  as  yet  with 
little  success  on  account  of  the  overwhelming  num- 
bers of  the  enemy  through  which  his  comparatively 
small  force  had  to  pass.  It  was  on  September  15 
that  Major-General  Sir  James  Outram  joined  him, 
having  been  recalled  from  Persia,  where  he  had  been 


LUCKNOW  79 

in  command  of  the  expeditionary  force.  Outram 
was  a  small,  quiet  man,  whose  gentle  and  polished 
manner  covered  one  of  the  strongest  characters  and 
most  dauntless  spirits  of  the  British  army.  His 
unselfish  nature  was  shown  by  the  order  which,  as 
Havelock's  superior  officer,  he  immediately  issued 
to  the  relieving  force,  to  the  effect  that  he  consid- 
ered "  the  strenuous  and  noble  exertions  which 
Havelock  had  already  made  to  save  the  Lucknow 
garrison  entitled  him  to  the  honor  of  relieving  it, 
and  that  he  had  decided  to  accompany  the  column 
in  his  civil  capacity  as  Chief  Commissioner  of  Oudh, 
as  a  private  in  the  volunteers  until  the  Residency 
was  occupied."  It  was  a  praiseworthy  sacrifice,  for 
it  meant  giving  up  not  only  the  great  honor  of 
relieving  Lucknow,  but  also  the  chief  share  of  the 
treasure  which  had  been  gathered  in  the  Residency 
and  which  would  go  as  prize  money  to  the  relievers. 
But  he  carried  out  his  decision,  following  the  col- 
umn through  the  hail  of  lead  which  it  encountered 
at  every  step  of  the  last  part  of  the  way,  carrying 
only  a  cane.  Unfortunately,  as  will  be  seen,  he  later 
had  occasion  to  regret  his  decision,  and  acknow- 
ledged that  it  was  a  foolish  act  and  that  sentiment 
had  obscured  duty. 

The  Ganges  was  finally  crossed  and  the  head  of 
the  column,  under  Brigadier-General  Neill,  reached 


8o  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  bridge  which  crosses  the  canal  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  city.  This  bridge  being  subjected  to  a  heavy 
fire  by  the  natives,  Neill  did  not  think  it  advisable 
to  cross  till  the  rear  of  the  column  had  moved  up 
and  the  order  had  been  given  by  the  general  in 
command.  The  other  officers  were  impatient,  for  a 
reconnoitring  party  had  reported  that  the  bridge 
might  be  carried,  and  fora  moment  there  were  mur- 
murs of  dissatisfaction.  Then  occurred  one  of  those 
episodes  which  add  humor  even  to  war.  Young 
Havelock,  the  general's  aide-de-camp,  spurred  his 
horse  and  dashed  back  over  the  road  towards  his 
father's  position.  Halting  at  the  first  turn,  however, 
he  waited  for  a  few  moments  and  then  came  gallop- 
ing back  to  Neill.  "  You  are  to  carry  the  bridge 
at  once,  sir!"  he  said.  The  order  was  issued  and 
Colonel  Tytler,  Captain  Willis,  and  Lieutenants 
Havelock  and  Arnold  immediately  charged  with  a 
dozen  soldiers  each  of  their  respective  regiments. 
At  the  end  of  the  bridge  was  a  seven-foot  earthwork 
armed  with  six  heavy  rebel  guns  and  protected  by  a 
wide  range  of  rebel  musketry  fire.  Tytler  and  Willis 
were  wounded,  and  Arnold  fell  shot  through  both 
thighs,  while  five  men  at  his  side  had  their  right  legs 
shot  off.  In  a  minute  Lieutenant  Havelock  and 
Corporal  Jacques  were  the  only  two  unwounded  men 
on  the  bridge.  Jacques  continued  firing  and  reload- 


LUCKNOW  81 

ing  as  unconcernedly  as  at  target  practice,  while 
Havelock,  who  was  sitting  on  his  horse  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  parapet,  received  a  bullet  through  his 
helmet.  Then  drawing  his  revolver  and  dropping 
the  Sipahi  who  had  come  so  near  to  killing  him,  he 
cheered  on  the  men  who  had  closed  up  behind  him 
and  carried  the  battery  at  the  end  of  the  bridge. 

It  was  then  that  the  great  mistake  in  the  ap- 
proach to  the  Residency  was  made.  Outram  saw 
that  to  push  through  the  streets  which  led  directly 
to  the  besieged  garrison  would  be  to  run  a  gauntlet 
of  close  fire  from  the  rebels  who  held  the  houses  on 
each  side  and  were  themselves  practically  protected. 
He  would  have  made  a  detour  which,  as  examina- 
tion later  proved,  would  have  enabled  the  relieving 
force  to  make  an  almost  bloodless  approach  to  the 
Residency.  But  night  was  coming  on  and  Have- 
lock  with  his  fiery  spirit  could  not  brook  the  delay. 
Outram  would  gladly  have  taken  command  and 
avoided  what  he  saw  would  entail  unnecessary  and 
terrible  slaughter,  but  it  was  now  too  late.  The 
order  was  given,  and  at  fearful  loss  the  column  swept 
forward  through  those  lead-whipped  streets.  At  the 
end  of  a  lane  a  courtyard  was  entered  at  whose  end 
was  an  archway,  and  here,  while  sitting  on  his  horse 
steadying  the  column,  Neill  received  the  bullet 
from  a  rebel  on  the  roof  which  ended  his  brilliant 


82  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

career.  A  few  moments  later,  having  lost  seven 
hundred  officers  and  men  in  the  approach  to  the 
Residency,  the  column  breached  the  intrenchments 
of  the  garrison.  One  unfortunate  incident  marred 
the  triumph  of  the  entry.  Lieutenant  Aitken,  on 
hearing  the  cheers  of  the  approaching  soldiers,  took 
out  a  party  of  loyal  native  Bengalis  to  meet  them ; 
unfortunately  the  approaching  Highlanders  in  their 
excitement  took  them  for  the  enemy  and  promptly 
bayoneted  three  of  Aitken's  men.  As  one  lay  bleed- 
ing to  death,  realizing  the  fatal  mistake,  he  said 
simply,  "It  does  not  matter,  I  die  for  the  Gov- 
ernment." Then  the  Residency  was  entered  and 
grimy  soldiers  wrung  the  hands  of  officers'  wives 
and  embraced  little  children  in  the  supreme  joy  of 
the  moment  of  success. 

But  it  was  not  until  November  17  that  Lucknow 
was  effectually  relieved.  Havelock  and  Outram  had 
entered,  but  they  were  powerless  to  do  more.  The 
enemy  closed  in  again,  and  the  relievers  found  them- 
selves in  turn  besieged.  The  final  honor  of  relieving 
Lucknow  belongs  to  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  and  it  was 
only  accomplished  after  the  garrison  had  held  out 
for  one  hundred  and  forty  days  and  had  known 
many  times  over  the  worst  things  that  war  can 
bring. 


THE   GHATS   AT   BENARES 


SOME   OF  THE  GREAT   PALACES   AT   BENARES 


-    - 

"*   *         *      <   ' 


BENARES  83 

To  my  mind  the  great  fascination  about  India  is 
the  continual  novelty  one  finds  as  one  passes  from 
place  to  place.  One  can  never  become  bored  as  is  so 
easy  in  European  travelling,  for  no  two  cities  are 
ever  just  alike ;  each  seems  to  be  in  a  land  of  its  own 
and  to  possess  its  distinctive  characteristics,  afford- 
ing to  the  tourist  that  continual  change  of  scene 
which  is  the  greatest  charm  of  travel.  But  when 
you  pass  from  Lucknow  to  Benares  you  come  upon 
a  city  which  is  so  absolutely  different  from  anything 
you  have  seen  before,  that  you  wonder  whether  it 
really  belongs  to  our  earth  and  is  not  a  town  in 
some  other  world,  with  other  people,  other  forms  of 
architecture,  and  other  manners  of  living  than  we 
are  accustomed  to. 

Indeed,  Benares  is  not  of  our  world.  It  comes 
down  to  us  from  an  era  thousands  of  years  ago, 
when  Buddha  adopted  it  as  his  home  and  began  to 
spread  his  doctrines  throughout  the  East ;  but  even 
then  it  was  ancient  as  a  holy  city  and  had  seen  one 
religion  after  another  rise  and  decay  within  its 
walls.  It  is  still  to-day  the  holiest  city  in  India,  and 
is  the  headquarters  alike  of  Buddhism  and  Brah- 
minism ;  to  drink  and  bathe  in  the  sacred  waters  of 
the  Ganges,  which  runs  through  it,  purges  the  soul 
of  sin,  and  to  die  within  its  precincts  insures  to 
believer  and  infidel  alike  an  immediate  and  uncon- 


84  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

ditional  entry  into  the  highest  heaven.  That  is  why 
the  ghats  along  the  river  bank  present  one  of  the 
liveliest  scenes  to  be  beheld  in  the  world,  for  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  naked  natives  are  bathing 
and  washing  their  clothes  in  the  filthy  water,  and 
that  is  why  the  death  rate  of  Benares  is  so  enor- 
mous and  the  funeral  fires  along  the  Ganges  are  kept 
busy  day  in  and  day  out ;  for  from  far  and  near  come 
the  aged  and  infirm,  in  all  stages  of  illness  and 
disease,  dragging  themselves  to  the  sacred  water  for 
a  last  purification  before  passing  on  to  a  certain 
paradise. 

On  the  morning  of  my  arrival  I  entered  a  boat 
and  rowed  slowly  up-stream,  a  few  yards  away  from 
the  line  of  ghats  on  which  were  taking  place  the 
same  morning  ablutions  which  have  been  per- 
formed for  centuries  by  the  followers  of  the  Hindu 
gods.  Never  have  I  seen  such  an  enlivened  sight. 
The  ghats  extended  along  the  river  in  apparently 
endless  succession  —  great  flights  of  stone  steps 
descending  to  the  water,  separated  here  and  there 
by  some  crumbling  ruin  fallen  from  above,  and  sur- 
mounted by  tier  upon  tier  of  temples,  mosques, 
palaces,  dwelling-houses,  and  ancient  buildings  of 
every  description,  which  rose  in  a  crowded  jumbled 
mass  high  above  the  stream  below.  Along  the  ghats 
themselves  crouched  thousands  and  thousands  of 


BENARES  85 

black  naked  natives,  scooping  up  handfuls  to  drink, 
washing  clothes,  or  submerging  themselves  in  the 
filthy  waters  of  the  sacred  stream. 

Of  all  gruesome  sights  the  burning  ghats  of 
Benares  are  undoubtedly  the  most  loathsome,  and 
they  lie  open  to  the  view  of  every  passer-by  on  the 
river.  When  a  Hindu  dies  —  and  I  have  remarked 
on  the  high  death  rate  in  Benares  —  his  body  is 
promptly  carried  to  one  of  these  ghats,  where,  if  the 
place  be  not  already  too  crowded,  it  is  immediately 
placed  on  a  funeral  pyre.  If  the  family  of  the  de- 
ceased be  rich,  the  body  is  covered  with  costly  silks 
and  shawls;  otherwise  a  simple  linen  sheet  forms 
the  only  shroud.  The  fire  is  started,  the  covering 
quickly  burns,  and  the  body  is  left  in  full  view, 
twitching  and  writhing  as  the  fire  catches  and  con- 
tracts its  muscles.  When  it  has  been  partially  con- 
sumed, men  with  long  poles  rake  the  limbs  from 
the  ashes  and  push  them  carelessly  into  the  river, 
where  they  are  carried  away  down-stream  in  close 
proximity  to  the  drinkers  and  bathers  on  the  ghats 
below.  The  family  will  perhaps  sit  upon  a  small 
terrace  beside  the  burning  ghat  to  witness  the  cere- 
mony, or  the  body  may  be  accompanied  only  by  the 
fire-builders.  After  the  burning  certain  contractors 
search  the  ashes  for  jewels  which  may  have  been 
placed  upon  the  deceased  by  relatives  before  crema- 


86  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

tion,  and  have  escaped  combustion.  Then  a  new 
pyre  is  built  and  a  few  moments  later  another  body 
is  similarly  disposed  of.  If  the  relatives  cannot  af- 
ford the  three  rupees  charge  which  is  the  minimum 
for  cremation,  they  simply  launch  their  dead  on 
the  river,  and  the  bodies  go  floating  down  the  sa- 
cred stream  while  the  bathers  continue  their  ablu- 
tions undisturbed.  At  the  big  burning  ghat  I  saw 
three  funeral  fires  burning,  while  a  fourth  shrouded 
figure  lay  on  the  bank,  and  as  I  watched,  a  fifth  was 
carried  in  on  the  shoulders  of  the  undertakers  and 
laid  beside  the  others  to  wait  its  turn. 

The  greater  part  of  the  morning  was  spent  in 
watching  the  river-side  life  of  the  city,  as  we  rowed 
slowly  past  the  ghats  and  the  jumbled  buildings 
behind  them.  One  remarks  especially  the  many 
imposing  palaces  which  at  the  end  of  the  succession 
of  stone  steps  rise  straight  from  the  water's  edge. 
Just  as  we  at  home  own  villas  at  the  seashore  or  in 
the  country,  so  the  rich  Hindu  possesses  his  palace 
at  Benares,  where  he  may  spend  a  portion  of  every 
year  in  holy  contemplation  and  in  sin-purging  ablu- 
tions ;  and  many  of  these  palaces  showed  that  vast 
sums  had  been  put  into  their  construction. 

Finally  I  landed  at  one  of  the  ghats  and  climbed 
up  into  the  crooked,  filthy  little  alley-ways  of  the 
town.  Here  one  sees  sights  which  disgust  the  senses 


MOUNT  TARAWERA   AND   LAKE   ROTOMAHANA 
New  Zealand 


THE    LAVA-FORMED   COUNTRY   SURROUNDING   WAIMUNGU 


BENARES  87 

but  move  the  heart,  for  such  wretchedness,  igno- 
rance, filth,  and  poverty  as  one  sees  at  every  step 
cannot  well  exist  in  the  same  degree  elsewhere.  At 
every  step  there  is  a  temple  to  one  or  another  of  the 
Hindu  gods ;  to  Siva,  the  vicious,  the  cruel,  or  one 
of  his  horrible  wives ;  to  Vishnu,  or  Krishna,  or  to 
Ganesha,  the  elephant-headed,  or  to  one  of  the 
thousands  of  other  deities  which  are  worshipped  in 
this  terrible  city  with  the  blindest  and  most  abject 
superstitious  awe. 

There  is  no  reverence  in  the  Hindu  worship,  it  is 
merely  the  propitiation  of  cruel,  unjust  gods,  in 
order  that  their  chronic  anger  may  temporarily  be 
soothed  and  evil  thus  averted.  A  Hindu  may  com- 
mit murder  one  moment,  but  by  worshipping  at 
Siva's  temple  and  drinking  at  the  "Well  of  Know- 
ledge" the  next,  he  obtains  complete  absolution; 
and  if  he  dies  immediately  thereafter  within  the 
sacred  precincts  of  the  city,  he  goes  at  once  to  para- 
dise. No  wonder  that  in  Benares  disease  is  rife. 
The  "  Well  of  Knowledge*'  is  a  hole  filled  with  stag- 
nant, putrid  water,  every  drop  of  which  must  be 
rank  poison ;  yet  an  old  priest  is  continually  ladling 
it  out  to  pilgrims  and  inhabitants  alike,  and  day 
after  day  the  crowds  throng  about  the  well  for 
"  purification"  by  drinking  from  this  most  filthy 
and  infectious  source. 


88  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

The  alley-ways  which  intersect  the  town  are  none 
too  wide  to  accommodate  the  stream  of  passers-by ; 
but  as  almost  every  square  foot  of  public  highway 
is  privately  appropriated  progress  becomes  almost 
impossible.  Here  a  merchant  has  his  brass  and  tin 
wares  spread  upon  the  pavement;  a  little  farther 
along,  a  farmer  squats  among  his  vegetables  in  the 
middle  of  the  way;  a  step  more  and  you  have  to 
pass  gingerly  by  a  barber  who  sits  on  his  haunches 
before  the  employer  of  his  services,  both  in  the  same 
attitude,  occupying  all  but  a  fraction  of  the  high- 
way. Then  conies  a  sacred  bullock,  wandering 
lazily  along,  bedecked  with  the  flowers  of  pious  wor- 
shippers ;  he  stops  to  help  himself  casually  from  the 
vegetables  and  fruits  of  the  poor  but  unresisting 
farmer,  and  continues  his  course  among  the  wares 
of  the  merchants,  which  he  scatters  to  right  and 
left,  while  pedestrians  edge  up  against  the  walls  of 
adjacent  buildings  to  give  him  ample  room.  There 
are  many  hundreds  of  these  sacred  animals  in 
Benares,  and  to  injure  or  restrain  them  in  the  pur- 
suit of  their  fancies  would  be  an  act  of  impiety 
which  would  be  visited  by  the  utmost  wrath  of  the 
protecting  gods. 

Filthy  temples  open  from  the  alleys,  as  I  have 
said,  at  every  few  steps,  and  within,  filthy  priests 
receive  contributions  of  money  and  food  for  the  pro- 


THE   BURNINl 

Three  bodies  are  in  the  process  of  cremation  ;  a  fourth  lies 

shoulder: 


iAT,    BENARES 

shroud  on  the  slope,  while  a  fifth  is  being  brought  in  on  the 
wo  coolies 


BENARES  89 

pitiation  of  their  respective  deities.  Beggars  literally 
swarm  at  their  thresholds :  in  no  city  of  the  world 
are  the  beggars  so  numerous  and  so  hideously  dis- 
gusting as  at  Benares ;  maimed,  blind,  paralyzed, 
diseased,  they  gather  from  every  part  of  India  and 
crowd  before  the  temples  where  the  pious  will  not 
overlook  their  appeals.  But  repulsion  overcomes 
one's  sense  of  pity,  and  prompts  one  to  hurry  past. 
The  hotels  in  Benares,  fortunately,  are  far  from 
this  centre  of  filth  and  degradation,  and  great  was 
the  relief  when  at  the  end  of  a  day  of  sight-seeing  I 
returned  to  the  pure,  untainted  open  air.  Benares 
had  seemed  to  me  like  a  great  festering  sore  on  the 
clean  surface  of  the  land,  aggravated  by  the  thou- 
sands drawn  thither  by  the  irresistible  force  of 
superstition,  fostered  by  the  practices  carried  on 
under  the  guise  of  religion.  That  this  hotbed  of 
vice,  filth,  ignorance,  and  degradation  should  be 
called  the  holy  city  of  India  is  irony  of  the  deepest 
description.  On  looking  back  at  that  virtueless 
place,  if  one  wishes  to  include  any  pleasure  in  one's 
recollections,  one  must  remember  only  the  sun- 
sparkling  waters  of  the  Ganges,  the  thronging  life 
of  the  ghats,  and  the  rising  mass  of  ancient  build- 
ings which  have  come  down  to  us,  some  ruined, 
many  crumbling,  all  jumbled  one  above  the  other 
in  reasonless  confusion,  through  unnumbered  cen- 


90  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

turies.  This  exterior  aspect  can  interest,  even 
please;  but  to  look  closer  is  to  court  disgust  and 
sure  repulsion. 

From  Benares  I  journeyed  to  Calcutta,  and  after 
a  most  pleasant  visit  in  that  delightful  city,  sailed 
on  January  4  by  the  P.  &  O.  S.  S.  Peninsula  for  the 
other  side  of  the  world. 


CHAPTER   V 

WAIMUNGU  AND    THE   HOT-SPRING   COUNTRY  OF  NEW 
ZEALAND 

|N  the  North  Island  of  New  Zealand,  if 
you  drive  from  Rotorua  straight  back 
through  the  scarred  and  roughened 
lava-strewn  hills  toward  Mount  Tara- 
wera,  that  old  volcano  of  such  grim  associations, 
you  will  come  upon  what  appears  to  be  a  peaceful 
pond  lying  motionless  in  a  depression  among  the 
hills.  Among  its  dreary  and  barren  surroundings 
not  a  living  thing  is  to  be  seen ;  the  thin  steam  that 
rises  gently  from  its  surface  and  from  the  other 
pools  near  by  is  the  only  sign  of  movement  that 
breaks  its  stillness.  From  the  plateau  in  which  it  is 
sunk  rises  in  two  directions  great  rugged  cliffs,  and 
these  form,  as  it  were,  a  natural  stadium  in  whose 
arena  below  is  enacted  at  intervals  one  of  the  most 
marvellous  and  sensational  spectacles  which  the 
natural  phenomena  of  the  world  produce.  For  this 
is  Waimungu,  the  largest  geyser  in  the  world,  but  a 
geyser  whose  action  resembles  far  more  the  eruption 
of  a  great  volcano  than  it  does  the  slender  jets  of 


92  SPORT   AND  TRAVEL 

steam  and  water  with  which  one  usually  associates 
the  name. 

When  in  1886  the  appalling  eruption  of  Mount 
Tarawera  altered  the  face  of  the  whole  country, 
leaving  in  its  path  widespread  loss  of  human  life, 
destruction  of  villages  and  of  millions  of  acres  of 
cultivated  fields,  New  Zealanders  did  not  realize 
what  a  mighty  landmark  had  been  given  them  as 
compensation.  They  could  only  bemoan  the  loss 
of  their  famous  Pink  Terraces,  which  Tarawera  had 
so  ruthlessly  torn  from  them,  and  they  could  not 
foresee  the  monument  which  was  then  set  in  course 
of  construction  to  commemorate  that  terrible  June 
night.  For  Waimungu,  though  it  was  undoubtedly 
formed  by  that  great  upheaval,  did  not  at  once 
make  known  its  birth.  For  fourteen  years  it  lay 
quiescent  slowly  gathering  power  for  the  day  on 
which  it  would  first  leap  into  action  and  proclaim 
its  sovereignty.  Suddenly,  in  1900,  the  outburst 
came.  The  quiet  pool  which  lies  within  its  cra- 
ter was  stirred,  steam  rose  from  its  surface,  and 
with  no  further  warning,  the  very  bowels  of  the 
earth,  as  it  seemed,  were  hurled  through  it  into  the 
air  in  one  tremendous  explosion.  Two  men  pro- 
specting for  ore  in  that  uninhabited  region  saw 
the  eruption  and  brought  back  the  news:  Wai- 
mungu had  broken  loose;  New  Zealanders  hence- 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND    93 

forth  could  boast  the  greatest  and  grandest  geyser 
in  the  world. 

It  seems  to  have  taken  the  people  of  Rotorua 
some  little  time  to  realize  that  from  the  erratic 
and  wholly  ungovernable  character  of  Waimungu, 
a  near  approach  to  its  crater  must  at  all  times  be 
attended  with  the  greatest  personal  risk;  for  al- 
though the  explosions  were  soon  found  to  come  at 
average  periods  of  thirty-six  hours,  irregular  erup- 
tions were  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  took  place 
without  warning  when  least  expected.  As  is  the  law 
with  all  new  dangers,  somebody  had  to  be  hurt 
and  sacrificed  before  steps  were  taken  to  prevent 
the  ignorant  and  foolhardy  from  venturing  too  near. 
In  the  summer  of  1903  two  girls  and  a  guide  visited 
the  crater,  and  though  previously  warned  of  the 
risk,  they  stood  near  the  brink  to  secure  a  photo- 
graph at  close  quarters.  An  eruption  occurred,  the 
pond  was  thrown  bodily  into  the  air  to  a  height  of 
some  fifteen  hundred  feet,  with  enormous  quantities 
of  mud,  huge  rocks,  and  steam,  the  unfortunate 
visitors  were  caught  by  the  backflow  of  the  boiling 
water  and  swept  down  into  the  crater,  from  which 
the  bodies  were  later  recovered,  terribly  burned 
and  mutilated.  From  that  day  the  geyser  basin  was 
railed  off  in  such  a  manner  that  nobody  could  ap- 
proach near  enough  to  incur  the  slightest  danger. 


94  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

It  was  but  a  few  months  before  this  mishap  that, 
while  staying  at  Rotorua  in  the  hot  spring  district, 
my  friend  B.  and  I  visited  Waimungu.  In  those 
days  the  only  warning  of  the  risk  of  near  approach 
was  a  small  sign-board  affixed  to  a  post  beside  the 
path  leading  to  the  crater,  which  said  simply,  "  Dan- 
ger Limit."  All  questions  as  to  the  magnitude  of 
the  risk  and  the  advisability  of  approaching  nearer 
were  left  to  the  visitor  himself.  What  could  be  more 
innocent  -  looking  than  this  little  pond  set  deep 
down  in  the  rocky  basin  between  the  hills  ?  What 
more  unlikely  than  that  it  should  choose  the  very 
moment  when  one  was  leaning  over  its  brink,  to 
explode?  So  people  argued  and  so  visitors  like  our- 
selves continued  to  come  and  approach  near  to  its 
edge,  little  knowing  that  within  a  few  short  months 
Waimungu,  like  the  dragon  of  old,  was  to  rise  with- 
out warning  and  levy  a  toll  of  three  human  lives 
for  the  privilege  of  beholding  it  breathe  forth  its 
smoke  and  steam.  If  I  had  fully  realized  at  the  time 
the  extent  of  the  danger,  I  doubt  if  I  should  have 
taken  a  photograph  on  the  very  edge  of  the  crater, 
or  have  paused  for  some  time  to  watch  the  steam 
and  bubbles  rising  from  the  pool's  surface.  But 
Waimungu  was  propitious,  for  although  it  had 
worked  the  night  before  and  we  had  been  told  that 
we  could  venture  into  its  basin  with  impunity,  it 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND    95 

exploded  marvellously  just  five  minutes  after  we 
had  left  the  danger-zone  and  climbed  the  adjacent 
cliff. 

The  road  through  the  hills  from  Rotorua  toward 
Waimungu  led  us  over  the  most  desolate  country : 
in  all  directions  only  the  lava-formed,  rolling  wil- 
derness was  to  be  seen.  Occasionally  we  passed 
terraces  of  sulphur,  silica,  and  alum,  where  jets  of 
steam  or  boiling  mud-holes  showed  the  volcanic 
nature  of  the  land.  So  far  as  any  natural  earthlike 
features  were  to  be  seen,  one  might  have  been  in 
the  nether  regions.  Then,  after  scrambling  up  a 
steep  hill  to  the  westward  of  Rotorua,  a  superb  view 
suddenly  appeared :  at  our  feet  lay  the  azure  surface 
of  Lake  Rotomahana,  of  such  a  blue  as  one  sees  por- 
trayed and  believes  unreal,  a  turquoise  in  an  old-gold 
setting,  for  the  encircling  mountains  were  bathed 
in  the  yellow  haze  of  afternoon  sunlight,  and  rose  as 
tawny  protectors  of  their  charge  below.  Grim  and 
foreboding  in  the  background  stood  Tarawera,  pas- 
sive now  and  smokeless,  brooding  over  her  dark 
deeds  of  bygone  years,  dreaming  perhaps  of  the  day 
when  power  would  once  more  be  given  her  to  rise 
and  strike  the  land  with  terror. 

From  the  hill  beside  Rotomahana  we  descended 
to  Waimungu's  basin.  The  boiling  pool  which  occu- 
pies the  centre  of  the  crater,  some  three  hundred 


96  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

feet  in  width,  was  quite  still,  except  for  the  bubbles 
which  rose  to  its  surface  and  the  thin  steam  drifting 
lazily  upward.  We  passed  the  danger-line,  threaded 
our  way  carefully  between  the  boiling  springs,  and 
then,  climbing  down  into  the  crater,  stood  finally  on 
the  brink  of  the  pool  itself.  One  cares  to  remain  but 
a  moment  in  such  a  position:  Waimungu  had  ex- 
ploded during  the  night  and  was  not  actually  due  to 
work  again  for  thirty-six  hours ;  yet  the  thought  of 
what  would  be  our  fate  should  an  irregular  eruption 
occur  rendered  the  spot  a  peculiarly  unattractive 
one  and  caused  us  to  climb  without  delay  back  to 
the  plateau  and  so  on  up  to  the  cliff  above  the  basin. 
It  was  well  that  we  did  so.  Five  minutes  had 
scarcely  elapsed  from  the  moment  that  we  had  stood 
within  the  crater.  My  camera  was  pointed  down 
for  a  photograph  from  the  summit  of  the  cliff  and  I 
had  made  the  exposure.  Then,  even  before  there 
was  time  to  change  the  plate,  the  surface  of  the  pool 
began  suddenly  to  seethe,  I  heard  B.  at  my  elbow 
shouting,  "My  God,  man,  the  thing's  going  off!" 
But  his  voice  was  quickly  drowned  in  the  fearful 
uproar  that  immediately  ensued.  For  Waimungu 
was  in  eruption ;  the  formerly  placid  pond  was  shot 
in  one  terrifying  blast  into  the  air  far  above  our 
heads,  black  water,  black  mud,  black  rocks,  and  fol- 
lowing them  with  the  hissing  of  a  thousand  rockets 


^ 


THE   CRATER 


VVA1MUNGU 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND    97 

and  the  roar  of  a  thousand  cannon,  a  burst  of  whit- 
est steam  quickly  outstripped  and  enveloped  the 
uprushing  mass.  The  explosion  was  awe-inspiring, 
terrible,  grand  beyond  comparison.  No  more  ap- 
palling yet  fascinating  spectacle  can  exist;  no 
greater  satisfaction  can  be  experienced,  than  to  see 
such  a  phenomenon  at  close  range.  The  sight  alone, 
I  am  sure,  is  worth  the  travelling  thousands  of  miles 
of  land  and  water  to  behold. 

The  outburst  had  taken  place  in  the  hundredth 
part  of  a  second ;  almost  immediately  we  were 
pelted  with  the  sand  and  small  stones  which  fell  as 
the  exploded  mass  shot  back  into  its  crater,  causing 
us  to  take  refuge  in  the  shelter-hut  provided  for  that 
purpose  on  the  summit  of  the  cliff.  In  a  moment 
all  was  over ;  the  pond  regained  its  usual  placid  sur- 
face, and  no  sign  save  the  continued  shower  of  sand 
told  of  the  mighty  eruption  which  had  taken  place. 
Silently  we  descended  again  to  the  basin,  a  little 
serious  at  the  thought  of  what  would  have  been  our 
fate  had  the  outburst  occurred  a  short  five  minutes 
earlier.  It  is  well  indeed  that  visitors  may  now  no 
longer  approach  within  the  zone  of  danger. 

Waimungu,  I  say,  is  worth  the  travelling  many 
thousands  of  miles  of  land  and  sea  to  behold ;  yet 
Waimungu,  though  the  greatest,  is  by  no  means  the 
only  feature  which  renders  New  Zealand  a  wonder- 


98  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

land  of  never-failing  interest.  I  was  almost  glad  of 
the  illness  which  had  brought  me  down  there.  The 
journey  was  a  long  one,  —  five  days  from  Calcutta 
to  Ceylon,  three  weeks  more  to  Sydney,  and  a  final 
four  days  to  Auckland,  whence  the  railroad  led  to 
Rotorua  in  the  hot  spring  country. 

If  after  the  long  lazy  sea- voyage  anything  re- 
mained necessary  for  my  complete  recovery,  a  few 
weeks  in  the  clear  and  bracing  atmosphere  of  New 
Zealand  quickly  accomplished  it.  Nor  did  I  have  to 
number  myself  among  the  many  invalids  who  come 
to  the  hot-spring  region  for  the  wonderful  curative 
powers  of  its  mineral  baths,  for  Rotorua  is  famous 
for  its  healing  springs,  and  baths  of  water,  mud,  and 
vapor.  If  you  are  afflicted  with  gout  or  rheumatism, 
you  will  spend  most  of  your  time  in  the  well-known 
"  Priest's  Water  "  ;  or  if  something  is  to  be  desired 
in  the  smoothness  of  your  skin  or  the  loveliness  of 
your  complexion,  the  "  Rachel"  bath,  according  to 
tradition,  will  make  you  beautiful  forever.  But  so 
far  as  combined  benefit  and  enjoyment  go,  you  will 
find  more  absolute  pleasure  by  passing  all  your 
available  moments  in  the  big,  hot  sulphur  swim- 
ming-pool, where  you  can  float  lazily,  for  hours  at  a 
time,  in  water  above  one  hundred  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, and  leave  it  feeling  as  vigorous  and  energetic 
as  though  newly  wakened  from  a  refreshing  sleep. 


GEYSER   AT   WHAKAREWAREWA 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND    99 

As  the  traveller  approaches  Rotorua,  a  strange, 
unearthly  smell  of  sulphur  fills  the  air ;  white  puffs 
of  steam  rise  for  no  apparent  reason  from  green  hills 
and  valleys,  huge  mud-holes  by  the  roadside  seethe 
and  bubble  like  porridge  in  a  cauldron ;  hot  lakes  of 
extraordinary  colors,  —  yellow,  blue,  pink,  green,  - 
and  brilliantly  colored  strata  along  the  mountain- 
sides, make  one  stare  and  rub  one's  eyes  to  be  sure 
that  such  apparent  unrealities  exist.  Your  nearest 
conception  of  a  Methodist's  hell  will  be  truly  real- 
ized when  you  enter  the  Valley  of  Tikitere,  some  ten 
miles  from  Rotorua.  The  earth  is  hot  beneath  your 
feet,  the  country  gapes  with  steaming  cracks,  and  if 
a  cane  be  thrust  a  few  inches  into  the  soil,  a  jet  of 
steam  or  a  spout  of  boiling  water  reminds  you  that 
just  beneath  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth  are  seeth- 
ing toward  the  surface.  You  are  surrounded  by  a 
perfect  inferno  of  boiling  mud-holes,  bubbling  lakes 
of  hideous  colors,  and  blasts  of  steam  issuing  from 
hillsides  with  the  regular  exhaust  of  powerful  en- 
gines. Follow  the  guide  closely,  for  a  single  wrong 
step  may  land  you  in  some  loathsome  abyss,  and 
there  are  pleasanter  ways  of  reaching  eternity. 
Here  you  are  pointed  out  the  "Heavenly  Twins," 
two  horrid  bubbling  mud-holes  side  by  side,  one  of 
which  boils  the  thickest  of  brews  while  its  twin  con- 
tains the  thinnest.  On  one  side  "The  Devil's  For- 


ioo  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

ridge-Pot"  seethes  and  rumbles  with  some  foul 
glutinous  concoction ;  on  the  other  you  look  down 
through  the  "Gates  of  Hell"  into  a  slimy  lake, 
whose  thickened  waves  rise  and  recede  as  if  about  to 
break  upon  the  banks  above,  and  whose  sulphurous 
fumes  send  you  back  gasping  for  a  breath  of  pure 
air. 

But  we  have  had  enough  of  this.  Heaven  and 
Hell  rub  elbows  in  this  country :  let  us  have  a  look 
at  some  of  its  more  cheerful  features.  We  will  leave 
behind  the  boiling  mud,  uncanny  jets  of  steam  and 
sulphur-laden  air,  and  cross  over  to  Rotorua  Lake, 
where  the  fresh  lake  breeze  washes  the  poisonous 
fumes  from  our  lungs  and  cools  our  skins  from  the 
burning  breath  of  those  horrors  behind.  A  small 
steamer  carries  us  across  the  rippling  lake,  dotted 
with  white  sails  of  robroy  canoes  and  knockabouts, 
passes  between  green  islands,  and  lands  us  in  thick 
woods  on  the  opposite  shore,  where  we  enter  a  row- 
boat  and  row  lazily  up  an  enchanted  river  to  a 
fairyland  of  extraordinary  beauty.  The  banks  are 
thickly  grown  with  great  overhanging  trees  and 
blossoming  shrubs,  ivy  and  tall  ferns,  which  shade 
marvellously  clear  depths  of  opalescent  color.  Sud- 
denly the  river  narrows,  turns,  and  stops  short,  cut 
off  and  walled  in  by  the  same  luxuriantly  wooded 
banks.  For  a  moment  we  are  astounded  that  a 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND     101 

flowing  stream  should  come  so  suddenly  to  an  end, 
till  we  look  over  the  boat's  side  and  see,  far  below 
through  the  transparent  water,  a  jagged  opening  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream,  from  which  great  quivering 
volumes  of  ice-cold  water  well  up  to  the  surface, 
glancing  with  rainbow  colors  and  shot  with  arrows 
of  crystal  light.  Now  we  see  the  cause,  for  this  is  the 
famous  Hamurana  Spring,  the  source  of  the  beauti- 
ful river  which  flows  full-grown  from  this  hidden 
wooded  spot  down  into  Rotorua  Lake,  —  a  spring 
from  which  five  million  gallons  are  poured  forth 
every  twenty-four  hours.  Looking  into  its  depths, 
we  can  see  delicate  shells  and  ferns  growing  far 
below,  which  from  the  perfect  transparency  of  the 
icy  water  appear  almost  within  reach.  The  force  of 
the  up-rushing  torrent  is  so  tremendous  that  coins 
which  are  thrown  in  will  remain  suspended  half-way 
to  the  bottom  and  finally  drop  to  one  side  of  the 
spring,  where  they  lie  glittering  below,  safe  forever 
from  human  hands.  The  Maoris,  who  are  expert 
divers,  have  tried  again  and  again  to  reach  this 
tempting  store  of  treasure,  but  have  never  suc- 
ceeded and  never  will. 

We  will  pass  half  a  day  and  lunch  near  this  beau- 
tiful spot,  and  then,  in  the  afternoon,  drive  over  to 
the  geyser  region  of  Whakarewarewa,  a  small  Maori 
settlement  on  the  other  side  of  Rotorua.  The 


102  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

country  here  is  less  fearful  than  at  Tikitere  fortu- 
nately, but  none  the  less  active  for  all  that.  Within 
a  radius  of  less  than  a  hundred  yards,  some  ten  or 
a  dozen  geysers  play  at  intervals  ranging  from  two 
minutes  to  several  hours,  and  the  display,  when 
several  of  them  happen  to  be  in  action  at  the  same 
time,  is  most  effective.  Waikite,  the  famous  twin 
geyser,  has  ceased  working  now,  and  has  been  suc- 
ceeded as  queen  of  Whakarewarewa  by  Wairoa ;  but 
even  Wairoa  plays  no  longer  of  her  own  accord,  and 
only  under  the  inducement  of  a  plentiful  supply  of 
soap  does  she  consent  to  perform  for  the  curious 
multitudes.  As  is  well  known,  too  much  soaping  of 
a  geyvser  causes  it  eventually  to  cease  its  action  alto- 
gether, so  that  the  matter  becomes  an  important 
ceremony,  and  in  the  Rotorua  thermal  country  is 
allowed  by  the  government  only  when  some  dis- 
tinguished visitor  comes  to  see  the  display.  I  was 
fortunate  in  being  on  hand  when  Wairoa  was  thus 
induced  to  play  for  the  son  of  the  late  Premier  of 
New  Zealand,  Mr.  Seddon.  The  wooden  cover, 
always  padlocked  over  its  mouth,  was  solemnly 
removed,  the  crowd  warned  to  stand  back  out  of 
danger,  and  a  bag  of  bar  soap  thrown  into  the 
diminutive  crater.  Almost  immediately  the  water 
foamed  lathering  up  to  the  edge  of  the  silicious 
opening,  but  not  until  almost  twenty  minutes  later 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND    103 

did  the  actual  playing  begin.  There  was  a  deep 
rumbling  below,  a  choking  gurgling  noise  came 
from  the  depths  of  the  crater,  and  with  a  last  grand 
roar  Wairoa  shot  into  the  air  full  one  hundred  and 
thirty  feet,  a  graceful,  slender  column  of  whitest 
steam  and  water,  breaking  at  the  top  into  silvery 
feathers  which  drooped,  dissolved,  and  drifted  off 
into  the  sunlight. 

If  it  should  occur  to  any  one  to  wonder  why  a 
town  like  Whakarewarewa  should  be  built  in  the 
midst  of  this  hot-spring  terrace  with  boiling  pools 
between  the  very  houses  and  steaming  holes  scat- 
tered about  so  plentifully  that  a  visitor  must  look 
pretty  carefully  where  he  walks  lest  he  disappear 
into  one  of  them,  the  answer  is  almost  too  obvious ; 
—  the  Maoris  are  a  thrifty  race,  coal  and  fire- 
wood are  expensive,  stoves  rust  and  kettles  require 
tending;  then  why  go  to  superfluous  expense  and 
trouble  when  nature  has  supplied  fuel,  stoves,  and 
constantly  simmering  kettles  as  free  of  charge  as 
sunlight  and  fresh  air  ?  For  here  at  their  very  doors 
these  steam  holes  or  "fumaroles"  are  at  all  times 
ready  for  use;  over  the  openings  are  laid  small 
boxes,  the  food  to  be  cooked,  wrapped  in  leaves, 
is  placed  within,  and  soon  an  appetizing  smell  an- 
nounces that  dinner  is  ready.  If  other  domestic 
cares  delay  the  dinner  hour  —  if  the  father  of  the 


104  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

family  is  late,  or  the  baby  has  fallen  into  a  mud- 
hole  and  requires  a  precipitate  change  of  garments 
—  no  penalty  is  imposed  in  the  way  of  a  burned 
meal ;  for  the  stew  having  been  cooked  or  the  soup 
boiled,  they  simply  remain  there  as  in  an  oven, 
keeping  nicely  hot,  but  suffering  no  extra  scorching 
as  a  result  of  the  delay.  And  as  for  the  Monday 
clothes  washing,  why  it  is  simply  a  question  of 
kneeling  beside  one  of  the  big  hot  pools  and  sousing 
the  garments  until  they  are  as  white  and  clean  as 
new.  True,  both  clothes  and  dinner  may  savor 
more  or  less  strongly  of  sulphur,  but  who  so  fastid- 
ious as  not  to  be  able  to  cultivate  a  taste  for  sulphur 
as  well  as  for  any  other  spicy  flavor? 

The  Maori,  I  say,  is  of  a  thrifty  race,  yet  that  is 
the  least  of  his  attributes.  No  black  man  possesses 
more  personal  and  national  pride,  more  true  dig- 
nity, fearless  bearing,  honorable  and  faithful  in- 
stincts, and  cheeriness  of  temperament.  In  New 
Zealand  he  is  on  a  level  with  the  white  man  and 
feels  it :  there  is  no  fawning,  no  bowing  and  scraping 
in  his  attitude  towards  the  colonizers  of  his  coun- 
try, and  all  his  dealings  are  marked  with  straight- 
forward manliness.  Mentally  he  is  keen,  physically 
superb.  I  know  of  no  more  stirring  a  sight  than  the 
Haka  war-dance,  in  which  the  most  powerful  men 
of  a  village,  stripped  to  the  waist  to  give  better  play 


THE   GREAT   WAIRAKEI    GEYSER 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND     105 

to  their  great  muscular  arms  and  bodies,  form  in 
even  ranks,  and  taunted  with  cowardice  in  panto- 
mime by  their  women,  commence  muttering  in  deep 
voices  and  waving  their  arms  and  twisting  their 
bodies  in  fierce  unison,  as  though  writhing  under 
the  bitter  insults :  the  taunting  continues,  the  mut- 
tering, growing  louder  and  more  ominous,  becomes  a 
roar :  slowly  they  work  themselves  up  to  a  tremen- 
dous pitch  of  excitement,  bellowing  more  and  more 
threateningly,  swaying  and  twisting  with  greater 
and  greater  fierceness,  till  the  onlooker  becomes 
positively  terrified  in  spite  of  himself.  Then  sud- 
denly with  a  last  grand  shout,  they  break  their 
ranks  and  dash  headlong  to  meet  the  imaginary  foe. 
The  women  are  no  less  dignified  and  proud  of 
bearing  than  the  men,  and  exhibit  a  grace  of  move- 
ment and  litheness  of  body  unknown  in  any  but 
South  Sea  races.  Were  it  not  for  the  tatooing  of  the 
lips  and  chin  after  marriage,  many  of  them  would 
be  extraordinarily  beautiful ;  their  speech,  as  is  that 
of  the  men  as  well,  is  delightful  to  hear,  as  it  totally 
lacks  the  harsh  guttural  tones  of  the  Arab  and 
Hindu,  and  their  language  is  full  of  folk-lore,  handed 
down  from  age  to  age,  every  landmark  and  custom 
having  its  own  particular  myth.  Some  of  their  cus- 
toms are  very  amusing,  and  one  can  scarcely  repress 
a  smile  to  see  the  women  saluting  their  friends  in 


106  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  street  by  the  usual  rubbing  of  noses.  They 
carry  their  babies  strung  up  on  their  backs  as  do  our 
Indian  squaws  their  papooses,  and  indeed,  in  the 
Maori,  one  is  constantly  reminded  of  the  American 
Indian. 

On  Rotorua  Lake,  once  a  year,  high  carnival  is 
held.  From  all  the  villages  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try come  the  Maoris  with  their  babies,  tents,  and 
pots  and  pans,  and  they  camp  on  the  shores  of  the 
lake  and  make  merry  after  the  fashion  of  all  nations 
and  all  ages.  There  is  foot-racing  on  the  beach, 
yacht-racing  on  the  lake,  and  horse-racing  on  the 
track  behind  the  town ;  but  what  delights  the  Maori 
heart  above  all  else  is  the  great  race  between  the 
representative  war-canoes  of  the  various  villages 
which  takes  place  on  the  last  day  and  as  the  crown- 
ing event  of  the  celebration.  It  is  a  fine  sight  to  see 
these  great  canoes,  manned  by  forty  or  fifty  men, 
paddled  swiftly  across  the  lake  for  the  honor  of  their 
respective  towns.  The  captain  of  the  crew  stands 
in  the  centre,  to  give  the  stroke,  and  the  men,  all  in 
uniform,  keep  the  pace  with  a  dash  and  snap  worthy 
of  tried  athletes,  and  great  is  the  rejoicing  over  the 
winners.  Then  there  is  the  "Ha  Kahaka  Tama- 
hine,"  which  being  interpreted  means  "The  Chase 
for  a  Maori  Bride."  The  selection  of  the  young 
maiden,  or  wahin6,  for  this  event  is  no  easy  task, 


MAORI    WAR   CANOE 


THE   "HA    KAHAKA  TAMAHINE 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND     107 

for  she  must  be  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  girls  in 
the  surrounding  country,  and  beautiful  Maori  girls 
are  the  rule,  not  the  exception.  The  lucky  maiden 
is  put  in  the  bow  of  a  small,  very  swift  canoe,  and 
her  brother  or  some  other  relative  takes  his  place  in 
the  stern  to  paddle  her  through  the  chase  which  en- 
sues. As  they  appear  on  the  course  before  the  crowds 
who  throng  the  beach,  a  tremendous  cheer  goes  up, 
and  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  that  this  happy  little 
wahine  is  popular  as  well  as  lovely.  Hardly  have 
they  taken  their  place  near  the  starting-post  when 
the  canoes  of  the  chasers  themselves  shoot  out  to 
their  respective  stations,  each  very  fast  and  light, 
and  each  paddled  by  five  or  six  men  with  a  vacant 
place  in  their  midst  for  the  bride,  in  case  she  is  cap- 
tured before  reaching  the  finish  line.  At  the  signal, 
the  bride's  canoe  dashes  away  down  the  course,  fol- 
lowed a  minute  later  by  her  pursuers.  The  object 
of  the  chase,  as  is  soon  evident,  is  to  overtake  the 
maiden,  lift  her  from  her  own  craft  into  one  of  the 
places  left  vacant  for  her  in  the  canoes  of  the  other 
contestants,  and  carry  her  over  the  course  to  the  fin- 
ish line.  Once  captured  by  a  competing  crew,  that 
crew  at  once  becomes  the  object  of  pursuit  for  the 
others,  who  in  turn  try  to  overtake  and  capture  the 
bride.  The  crew  which  finally  succeeds  in  carrying 
her  across  the  finish  line  are  proclaimed  the  winners ; 


io8  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

but  whether  or  not  the  lady  chooses  her  husband 
from  the  winning  boat  is  a  delicate  question,  which 
does  not,  I  think,  enter  into  the  conditions  of  the 
race  itself.  At  any  rate,  the  bride  is  landed  on  the 
beach  and  has  to  run  a  gauntlet  of  deafening  ap- 
plause from  enthusiastic  thousands. 

Our  stay  at  Rotorua  must,  like  all  good  things, 
come  to  an  end  at  last.  Rising  very  early  one  morn- 
ing, we  take  a  regretful  leave  of  the  mist-wrapped 
lake  and  the  steaming  terraces  and  hillsides,  whose 
beauties  and  horrors  alike  have  been  a  source  of  such 
keen  enjoyment;  the  whip  cracks,  the  rickety  old 
stage-coach  groans  on  its  springs,  and  we  are  whirled 
off  over  the  lava-roughened  hills,  past  Waimungu, 
past  old  Tarawera,  and  so  down  through  the  fern- 
clad  jungles  to  Wairakei,  Lake  Taupo,  and  the  Wan- 
ganui  River,  where  new  scenes  of  undreamed-of 
beauty  await  us  in  this  imperial  wonderland. 

By  this  time  no  traces  whatever  of  the  fever  re- 
mained, and  my  shoulder  was  beginning  to  ache  for 
the  feeling  of  a  gun  again.  I  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
as  to  the  whereabouts  of  either  Perry  or  Wheeler : 
only  one  letter,  from  Perry,  had  reached  me  since 
taking  leave  of  them  in  December,  saying  that  he 
had  lost  Wheeler  somewhere  in  the  Philippines,  his 
own  plans  being  apparently  quite  vague.  However, 
I  guessed  that  by  now  he  would  have  followed  his 


HOT  SPRINGS  OF  NEW   ZEALAND     109 

original  intention  of  going  into  India  after  gaur  and 
buffalo,  and  I  determined  to  look  for  him  forthwith. 
From  Wellington  I  sailed  by  the  steamer  Mokoia 
to  Sydney.  It  was  through  the  kindness  and  cheery 
hospitality  of  my  good  friends  the  P.'s,  which  I  shall 
not  soon  forget,  that  I  was  enabled  during  the  ten 
days  of  my  delightful  stay  in  New  South  Wales  to 
see  Katoomba  and  the  Jenolan  Caves  in  the  Blue 
Mountains.  At  length,  having  formed  golden  opin- 
ions of  Australians  in  general  and  my  hosts  in  par- 
ticular, I  boarded  the  since  ill-fated  Australia,  and 
on  March  18  sailed  down  the  beautiful  harbor  of 
Sydney,  bound  again  for  the  East,  with  "the  sights 
and  the  sounds  and  the  stinks  of  her." 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   JOURNEY  INTO    KASHMIR 

[F  there  had  been  previously  any  ques- 
tion as  to  where  our  next  shooting 
expedition  was  to  be  made,  all  doubt 
was  quickly  dispelled  on  my  reaching 
Calcutta  and  finding  Perry  worn  pretty  much  to  a 
shadow  from  a  protracted  and  severe  siege  of  fever. 
He,  poor  man,  after  his  Borneo  shooting,  during 
which  several  timbadou  heads  had  fallen  to  his  gun, 
had  been  taken  ill  in  the  middle  of  the  Bengal  jun- 
gle, where  he  was  after  gaur  and  buffalo,  with  no 
help  at  hand  other  than  his  servant  and  beaters, 
and  on  receiving  a  message  telling  him  of  my  arri- 
val, had  somehow  dragged  himself  to  the  railroad 
and  had  turned  up  in  Calcutta  a  few  days  later  in 
a  deplorable  state  of  weakness. 

Of  course,  under  these  circumstances  it  would 
have  been  folly  to  think  of  reentering  the  jun- 
gle. We  had  previously  considered  a  trip  up  the 
Irriwaddy  in  Burma,  but  even  had  Perry's  health 
permitted,  I  should  have  been  loath,  by  returning 
to  a  malarial  country,  to  court  a  perfectly  sure 


THE  "ORPHAN,"   KONIMBLA  VALLEY 


THE  "THREE   SISTERS,"  KONIMBLA   VALLEY 

New  South  Wales,  Australia 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     in 

recurrence  of  my  own  previous  illness ;  and  as  for 
Wheeler,  he  was  apparently  lost  somewhere  in  the 
Philippines,  so  that,  much  as  we  should  miss  him 
on  whatever  expedition  we  should  undertake,  our 
plans  had  to  be  made  regardless  of  his.  There  was 
but  one  country  now  where  the  pursuit  of  health 
and  sport  could  be  carried  on  simultaneously,  and 
that  we  both  agreed  was  Kashmir. 

Those  few  days  of  preparations  I  shall  not  soon 
forget.  The  hot  weather  was  at  its  height,  and  being 
occupied  with  the  thousand  and  one  things  which 
a  sportsman  has  to  think  of,  buy,  arrange,  and  pack, 
when  contemplating  a  long  expedition  with  no  base 
of  supplies,  I  was  on  foot,  despite  the  heat,  from 
early  morning  till  late  at  night.  Perry  eventually 
joined  me  from  Darjeeling,  where  both  of  us  had 
first  passed  ten  days  in  order  to  pull  him  round  a  bit, 
and  then  we  left  that  heat-parched  city  for  better 
climes. 

The  journey  to  Rawal  Pindi,  where  one  leaves  the 
railroad  to  cross  the  mountains  into  Kashmir,  occu- 
pied three  nights  and  three  days,  —  fiery,  swelter- 
ing days  they  were,  with  the  thermometer  at  107 
in  our  compartment,  the  air  enveloping  us  like  a 
steaming  blanket,  and  the  burning  dust  of  the  plains 
irritating  us  beyond  imagination.  But  fortunately 
we  had  a  large  compartment  to  ourselves,  in  which 


H2  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

we  could  make  ourselves  comfortable  in  what  cos- 
tume we  pleased,  so  that  somehow  or  other  the  hours 
passed.  There  are  no  dining-cars  on  Indian  trains, 
but  tea  and  soda  are  served  through  the  windows  at 
various  stations,  and  an  ice-box  is  carried  in  every 
wagon,  besides  which  the  train  stops  for  the  regular 
meals.  An  attempt  is  made  to  cool  the  compartment 
by  an  arrangement  known  in  Hindustanee  as  the 
tatti,  which,  on  one's  pressing  a  bolt,  allows  iced 
water  to  trickle  down  the  windows  from  a  reservoir 
above;  but  this  makes  too  little  difference  in  the 
temperature  of  the  compartment  materially  to  les- 
sen one's  discomfort.  Each  traveller  carries  his  own 
bedding,  which  is  made  up  by  his  "  boy,"  who  travels 
sitting  up,  day  and  night,  in  a  tiny  compartment 
opening  from  his  master's.  I  pitied  him,  poor  fel- 
low, for  ours  was  none  too  large  for  comfort  in  that 
breathless  heat.  The  journey  was  broken  by  a  few 
days'  visit  to  Simla,  the  summer  capital  of  India, 
immortalized  by  Kipling,  whence  once  again  we 
descended  to  the  plains  and  continued  westward. 
On  the  morning  after  our  arrival  at  Rawal  Pindi 
our  baggage  was  loaded  in  ekkas  —  curious  two- 
wheeled  carts  —  which  make  the  journey  to  Srina- 
gar  (pronounced  Sirinugger),  the  capital  of  Kash- 
mir, in  six  days,  as  against  the  three  days  occupied 
by  the  speedier  tonga  or  passenger  vehicle.  There 


THOMAS 


THE   TONGA 


THE  JOURNEY  INTO   KASHMIR     113 

was  already  a  good  deal  of  weight  to  our  outfit,  with- 
out counting  the  extra  provisions  and  thick  clothes 
which  we  were  to  pick  up  in  Srinagar,  —  about 
twelve  maunds  or  a  thousand  pounds,  comprising 
four  large  boxes  of  provisions,  tents,  camp  and 
kitchen  utensils,  guns,  ammunition,  and  clothes. 
All  our  finer  provisions,  such  as  tea,  coffee,  tinned 
fruits,  jams,  etc.,  had  been  brought  from  Calcutta; 
for,  excellent  as  are  the  Kashmiri  merchants  for 
fitting  out  sportsmen,  we  did  not  like  to  run  risks 
as  to  the  quality  of  things  so  precious.  Four  ekkas 
were  therefore  required  to  convey  our  luggage. 

The  distance  from  Rawal  Pindi  to  Srinagar  is  one 
hundred  and  ninety-eight  miles.  By  tonga  this  is 
accomplished,  as  I  have  said,  in  three  days;  the 
wagons  are  driven  at  a  furious  rate  of  speed  by  pairs 
of  horses  which  are  changed  approximately  every 
ten  miles,  the  system  of  harnessing  being  so  arranged 
that  the  change  is  effected  almost  instantaneously ; 
and  with  a  delay  of  but  a  few  seconds  at  the  end  of 
each  stage  one  is  off  again,  dashing  helter-skelter 
up  the  splendid  post-road  that  leads  through  the 
mountains  into  Kashmir.  The  driving  is  very  fa- 
tiguing, for  the  tonga,  which  in  point  of  thorough 
discomfort  surpasses  all  other  vehicles,  seems  to  be 
utterly  devoid  of  springs  or  apologies  for  springs; 
and  what  with  the  continual  bumping  over  the 


114  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

ground,  the  hardness  of  the  seat,  and  the  offensive- 
ness  of  the  dust,  one  is  generally  more  dead  than 
alive  at  the  end  of  a  day. 

Our  first  day  was  not  so  bad,  for  we  covered  only 
sixty-four  miles,  passing  the  night  at  the  pleasing 
little  Dak  Bungalow  at  Kohalla,  where  a  good  din- 
ner was  served  by  the  khitmagar,  and  bedsteads 
supplied  for  one  to  throw  one's  blankets  on.  But  on 
the  second  day  the  number  of  miles  accomplished 
was  ninety-one,  which  meant  almost  continuous 
travelling  from  five  in  the  morning  till  ten  at  night, 
and  it  was  two  weary  sahibs  who  threw  themselves 
down  that  night  on  their  blankets  at  Baramulla. 

But  what  a  revelation  awaited  us  in  the  morning. 
Ye  gods,  but  it  was  worth  all  the  heat  and  the  dust 
and  the  tired  bones  a  thousand  times  over  for  one 
glimpse  and  one  smell  of  it.  At  our  backs  was  the 
rugged  mountain  pass  through  which  we  had  come 
in  the  night,  and  before  us  a  beautiful  green  plain, 
as  smooth  and  fresh  as  any  lawn,  stretched  from 
both  banks  of  the  winding  Jhelum  River  far  away 
for  miles  and  miles  to  the  base  of  snow-mountains, 
which  in  a  panorama  of  dazzling  whiteness  formed 
a  majestic  setting  to  this  splendid  picture.  It  seemed 
almost  too  good  to  be  true,  this  wonderful  transition 
from  the  burning  dust-laden  air  of  Calcutta  to  this 
clear,  crisp,  soul-filling  atmosphere.  We  revelled  in 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     115 

the  pure  delight  of  it,  and  felt  at  once  capable  of 
starting  off  for  a  twenty-mile  tramp  across  country, 
though  heaven  knew  it  was  to  be  many  days  before 
our  limbs  were  to  get  into  trim  for  the  hard  work 
ahead.  Never  before  had  we  been  in  the  supreme 
physical  condition  of  those  months,  with  every 
muscle  at  its  highest  possible  efficiency  and  every 
nerve  under  the  perfect  control  so  necessary  for  ne- 
gotiating some  ticklish  climb  or  so  indispensable  for 
a  long,  steady  shot.  Those  were  days  which  it  is  plea- 
sant to  look  back  upon,  and  remember  what  it  was 
to  be  not  simply  in  good,  but  in  absolutely  perfect 
health,  —  the  wonderful  morning  awakenings  with 
the  tired  muscles  of  the  previous  evening  made  over 
anew,  the  icy  bucket-bath,  the  cup  of  steaming  cof- 
fee, the  all-day  tramp  or  stalk  across  vast  ranges, 
and  then  the  satisfaction  of  the  return  to  camp,  the 
evening  spent  in  front  of  the  roaring  pine-log  fire, 
and  finally  the  long  ten-hour  sleep  in  preparation 
for  another  glorious  day. 

A  hot  breakfast  was  prepared  and  served  by  the 
chowkidar  of  the  rest-house  at  Baramulla,  and  then, 
climbing  once  more  into  the  tonga,  we  dashed  off 
down  the  long  poplar-lined  road  which  leads  to  the 
capital  of  Kashmir. 

It  is  a  gay  sight  that  greets  the  traveller  as  he  rat- 
tles over  the  bridge  into  Srinagar  —  that  delightful 


ii6  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

Venice  of  the  north,  with  its  canals,  its  bridges,  its 
old  rickety  houses  jutting  out  over  the  river,  and  be- 
hind them  its  great  lawns  and  chenar  groves.  Mer- 
chants are  paddling  up  and  down  in  their  doongas 
displaying  or  delivering  their  wares;  barges  and 
ponderous  house-boats  are  making  for  the  country ; 
English  residents  are  skimming  by  in  their  light 
kishties  their  Kashmiri  crews,  in  bright  uniforms, 
moving  together  in  perfect  stroke.  The  sun  seems  to 
be  always  shining,  the  water  sparkling,  the  natives 
laughing.  Everything  is  bright,  merry,  and  full  of 
life. 

The  chief  thing  that  strikes  one  about  Srinagar  is 
the  extreme  greenness  of  the  grass  and  foliage.  The 
whole  place,  outside  of  the  dirty  quarter  of  the  ba- 
zaars, is  like  a  great  smooth  lawn,  interspersed  with 
houses  and  roads,  and  shaded  by  immense  chenar 
and  poplar  trees.  There  is  something  thoroughly 
refreshing  about  it,  especially  after  one  has  been  see- 
ing the  burnt,  hungry  soil  of  the  plains ;  and  the  air 
has  a  bracing  effect  of  its  own,  which  reminds  one  of 
October  mornings  at  home.  The  city  is  much  like 
Venice  in  the  way  it  is  built,  being  intersected  with 
canals  which  run  off  from  the  Grand  Canal  —  the 
Jhelum  River  —  in  the  centre.  On  this  are  all  the 
countless  shops  of  the  shawl-merchants,  silversmiths, 
wood-carvers,  and  the  many  other  trades  for  which 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     117 

Kashmir  is  noted.  In  the  centre  of  the  city,  on  this 
"  Grand  Canal,"  stands  the  Maharajah's  palace,  a 
very  grand  affair,  but  not  beautiful  from  the  point 
of  view  of  European  architecture.  It  was  gayly  dec- 
orated when  we  arrived  in  honor  of  the  return  of  the 
Maharajah  from  his  summer  home,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  we  saw  him  come,  with  the  whole  popula- 
tion of  the  city  out  to  greet  him.  His  reception  was 
most  enthusiastic,  and  the  countless  craft  gathered 
in  front  of  the  palace  for  the  occasion  made  a  gay 
picture. 

Europeans  may  not  own  land  in  Kashmir,  for, 
though  under  British  influence,  the  Maharajah's 
dominions  are  his  own  and  very  jealously  he  guards 
them ;  so  most  of  the  Englishmen  who  spend  their 
leaves  of  absence  up  here,  with  their  wives  and  fam- 
ilies, live  on  the  side  canals,  in  large  comfortable 
house-boats,  or  doongas,  moving  about  as  they 
please,  towing  their  kitchens  behind.  These  canals 
are  beautiful  spots  to  live  on,  for  they  are  clean, 
well-shaded,  and  with  smooth,  green  banks.  It  is 
indeed  a  delightful  way  to  spend  the  summer. 

We  were  rather  amused  by  the  manner  in  which 
our  custom  was  secured  by  a  certain  firm  of  mer- 
chants. Perry  and  I  were  endeavoring  to  flee  from 
a  mob  of  some  fifty  cannibals  in  the  shape  of  mer- 
chants, cooks,  shikaris,  servants,  etc.,  all  thrusting 


n8  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

their  recommendations  in  our  faces  and  squabbling 
for  their  prey,  when  a  spic-and-span  dog-cart  dashed 
up,  an  Indian  gentleman,  neatly  and  well  dressed, 
descended,  salaamed,  and  in  the  best  of  English 
asked  permission  to  rescue  us  from  the  crowd.  Of 
course  we  got  in  without  delay,  and  were  driven  in 
style  to  his  house,  where  we  were  served  with  a  good 
Kashmir  breakfast  in  a  sunny  little  room  overlook- 
ing the  Jhelum,  and  then  were  shown  through  his 
shawl-parlors.  It  was  neatly  done,  and  resulted  in 
Mr.  Bahar  Shah's  securing  the  greater  part  of  our 
custom  during  our  stay  in  Srinagar. 

What  a  week  of  purchases  that  was !  I  should  like 
to  see  the  man,  quite  needless  to  add  the  woman, 
who  could  pass  through  the  shops  of  those  mer- 
chants, with  their  embroideries  and  silks  and  push- 
mina  shawls,  and  come  out  unscathed.  Nor  was  this 
all,  by  any  means.  There  were  thick  suits  of  home- 
spun puttoo  to  be  bought,  pushmina  blankets  of 
silk  and  ibex  hair,  luisy  and  scarfs,  caps,  gloves,  chap- 
lis,  stockings,  colored  glasses;  and  then  kiltas  for 
the  provisions,  and  folding-beds,  and  a  thousand 
other  things  which  would  be  needed  during  the  three 
months  of  mountain-work  ahead.  With  all  this, 
there  were  the  shikaris  to  choose,  and  a  dozen  or  so 
naukar  or  servant-coolies  to  weed  out  of  the  hun- 
dreds who  besieged  us  daily  at  the  hotel  with  their 


PERRY   CHOOSING   SHIKARIS 


THE   AUTHOR   WITH    SHIKARIS,   CHOTA-SHIKARIS, 
AND   TIFFIN-COOLIES 


THE  JOURNEY  INTO  KASHMIR     119 

chits  or  recommendations,  more  than  half  of  which 
had  doubtless  carefully  been  written  by  some  public 
scribe  in  the  bazaars. 

We  got  through  with  it  somehow  —  partly  with 
the  help  of  Major  W.,  the  kindly  secretary  of  the 
Kashmir  Game  Association,  and  partly  by  the  sim- 
ple process  of  elimination  from  those  hordes  of  good, 
bad,  and  indifferent  men.  If  you  could  have  seen 
our  room  at  the  hotel  on  the  last  day,  when  not 
only  dozens  of  disappointed  shikaris  besieged  us, 
but  tailors,  shoemakers,  grocers,  and  peddlers  of  all 
descriptions  turned  up  to  deliver  their  wares  and 
receive  payment,  with  a  policeman  stationed  at  our 
door  to  prevent  riot  and  bloodshed,  you  would  have 
had  an  insight  into  the  labors  of  a  sportsman's  pre- 
parations, of  which  this  was  the  culmination. 

At  length,  on  the  evening  of  May  n,  everything 
was  in  final  readiness  for  a  start.  From  the  hotel  our 
supplies,  guns,  and  baggage  had  been  transferred  to 
two  doongas  lying  beside  the  bank  of  one  of  the 
beautiful  shaded  canals  with  which  Srinagar  is  in- 
tersected ;  and  after  taking  a  glad  leave  of  the  horde 
of  merchants,  coolies,  and  disappointed  shikaris 
clamoring  up  to  the  last  minute  for  custom  or  em- 
ployment, we  headed  toward  the  Sind  Valley,  the 
road  into  Baltistan. 

In  order  to  explain  briefly  the  route  which  we  had 


120  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

planned  to  follow,  I  must  now  say  a  few  words  about 
the  topography  of  Kashmir,  and  the  kinds  of  game 
the  pursuit  of  which  had  led  us  into  this  magnificent 
country.  To  begin  with,  there  are  two  great  divi- 
sions of  Kashmir  territory  which  chiefly  attract 
the  sportsman :  namely,  Ladak  and  Baltistan,  the 
former  of  which  occupies  roughly  an  easterly,  and 
the  latter  a  northerly,  position  in  relation  to  the 
Valley  of  Kashmir  itself,  and  both  cut  off  from  it  by 
some  of  the  highest  chains  of  all  the  Himalayas.  Of 
these  two  provinces,  Ladak  undoubtedly  offers  the 
greater  variety  of  game,  possessing  not  only  the  ibex, 
sharpu,  and  red  bear  of  Baltistan,  but  also  the  Tibe- 
tan antelope  and  gazelle,  the  burhel,  and  above  all, 
the  ovis  ammon,  that  great  wild  sheep  resembling 
the  Rocky  Mountain  big-horn,  and  surpassed  in 
size  of  body  and  length  and  weight  of  horn  only  by 
the  famous  ovis  poll  of  the  Russian  Pamirs.  In  Bal- 
tistan, on  the  other  hand,  one  finds  by  far  the  biggest 
ibex  in  the  world,  and,  besides  the  red  bear  and 
sharpu  or  urial,  one  runs  the  chance  of  shooting  a 
markhor,  the  largest  and  most  magnificent  of  all  the 
goat  tribe,  which  in  itself  is  a  trophy  making  well 
worth  while  any  amount  of  trouble  taken  in  its  pur- 
suit. Now  to  attempt  to  shoot  through  both  of  these 
countries  in  three  months,  the  amount  of  time  at  our 
disposal,  would  have  been  quite  impracticable,  and 


SCENE  ] 


UNAGAR 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     121 

indeed,  impossible,  on  account  of  the  great  distances 
which  separate  the  haunts  of  the  different  kinds  of 
game  which  inhabit  them.  As  it  was,  having  chosen 
Baltistan  as  our  field,  and  keeping  in  view  as  tro- 
phies only  the  ibex,  markhor,  sharpu,  and  red  bear, 
we  were  almost  incessantly  on  the  march,  and  dur- 
ing the  three  months  of  our  expedition  covered  well 
over  six  hundred  miles  on  foot  of  actual  travelling, 
exclusive  of  the  great  amount  of  ground  covered  in 
searching  for  and  stalking  the  various  kinds  of  game 
when  once  arrived  in  their  respective  countries. 

Upon  leaving  Srinagar  it  was  therefore  necessary 
first  to  cross  the  big  range  of  mountains  which  divide 
the  Valley  of  Kashmir  from  Baltistan,  which  is  best 
effected  by  means  of  the  Zogi  La  Pass,  approached 
through  the  Sind  Valley,  an  arm  running  from  the 
main  Kashmir  plateau ;  and  thither  accordingly  our 
first  steps  were  bent. 

These  doongas,  in  which  we  were  to  cover  the 
distance  to  the  head  of  the  valley,  are  the  Kashmir 
travelling  boats;  they  are  long  and  narrow,  with 
straw  mattings  at  the  sides  to  keep  out  the  wind  and 
rain,  and  are  towed  along  the  canal  by  boatmen,  or 
manzis,  one  of  whom  with  his  family  lives  in  the 
stern  of  each  boat,  his  sons  helping  him  by  paddling 
in  the  bow,  and  his  wife  by  steering  in  the  stern.  Be- 
hind these  comes  a  kitchen  boat,  carrying  one's  shi- 


122  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

karis,  provisions,  and  temporary  cooking-stove.  As 
a  rule  it  is  hard  to  persuade  the  men  to  travel  during 
the  night,  but  we  had  impressed  the  shikaris  with 
the  fact  that  we  wished  to  push  on  now  without 
more  delay  than  was  absolutely  necessary  and  that 
we  expected  them  to  make  good  bundobust  (arrange- 
ments) for  speedy  progress ;  so  that  a  considerable 
distance  was  accomplished  during  the  night. 

Awaking  after  a  rather  cold  night  and  a  hard  one, 
for  it  was  our  first  on  a  wooden  floor,  we  found  the 
men  still  towing  and  the  sky  threatening  rain.  The 
canal  was  winding  through  low  country,  where  great 
herds  of  cattle  grazed  in  all  directions,  toward  the 
mountains  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  where  the  Sind 
River  comes  in.  About  noon  we  reached  our  first 
halting-place,  a  village  composed  of  a  few  little  huts, 
called  Gandarbal,  and  here  we  were  obliged  to  spend 
the  night,  sending  ahead  a  letter  to  the  tehsildar  of 
the  district  to  have  forty  coolies  ready  the  next  day 
to  take  our  outfit  over  the  Zogi  La  Pass. 

The  route  northward  is  divided  into  stages  of 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  each,  as  a  coolie  can 
travel  with  his  load  only  this  distance  in  one  day. 
New  coolies  can  usually  be  secured  from  the  village 
at  the  end  of  each  of  these  stages,  or  marches  as 
they  are  called ;  but  in  the  crossing  of  the  Zogi  La 
Pass  there  are  no  villages  large  enough  to  supply 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     123 

such  coolies,  and  accordingly  permanent  ones  have 
to  be  engaged  for  the  five  days'  trip. 

In  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain,  making  things 
very  damp  and  cheerless.  We  spent  the  rest  of  the 
day  sorting  out  the  provisions,  and  putting  a  little 
of  each  article  into  one  box,  so  that  if  we  should  have 
to  race  for  a  nullah,  we  could  leave  the  heavy  stuff 
to  follow  and  ourselves  hurry  ahead.  The  shooting 
in  Kashmir  is  done  in  nullahs  or  nalas,  the  Hindu- 
stanee  word  for  "  valley,"  a  single  sportsman  being 
allowed  by  etiquette  to  hold  any  one  nullah  exclu- 
sively from  the  moment  he  pitches  his  tent  within 
its  limits;  but  as  the  valleys  in  Kashmir  vary  in 
length  from  a  few  hundred  yards  up  to  many  miles, 
it  is  difficult  sometimes  to  say  just  how  large  a  val- 
ley constitutes  a  nullah  and  may  be  held  by  one  gun ; 
and  this  is  not  seldom  the  cause  of  dispute  between 
ardent  sportsmen,  as  we  were  later  to  discover.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  the  snow-passes  first  open  in  the 
spring,  there  is  much  racing  for  good  nullahs ;  and 
since  we  were  already  late  in  entering  we  were  quite 
prepared  to  challenge  any  sportsman  who  from  now 
on  should  attempt  to  pass  us. 

On  the  1 3th  we  were  up  early  and  found  a  damp, 
chilly  morning.  Eighteen  ponies  and  some  ten  coo- 
lies were  ready  on  the  bank,  and  after  loading  all  the 
baggage,  we  started,  giving  the  two  body-servants 


124  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  the  cook  a  pony  each,  as  they  had  to  do  the  hard 
work,  while  the  shikaris  and  I  walked.  It  was  ludi- 
crous to  see  old  Thomas,  my  Cingalee  servant,  on 
horseback,  his  face  shining  with  delight,  as  he  had 
never  been  on  one  before.  Thomas  came  from  Co- 
lombo, and  seemed  nearly  eighty  years  old.  Several 
people  had  prophesied  that  he  would  not  live  through 
the  trip,  but  he  was  such  an  excellent  servant  that 
I  had  decided  to  take  the  risk.  He  had  shed  his  skirt 
for  the  regulation  puttoo  suit  which  we  had  given  to 
each  of  our  men,  and  had  placed  a  turban  above  his 
gray  "Psyche  knot"  with  its  tortoise-shell  comb, 
and  no  one  would  ever  have  recognized  in  this  trans- 
formed individual  the  former  sarong-clad  Cingalee. 
Thomas's  efficiency  as  an  interpreter,  however,  was 
soon  found  to  be  nil :  he  spoke  broken  English  well, 
but  his  Hindustanee  proved  to  be  so  weak  that  we 
ourselves  soon  learned  enough  of  the  language  to 
dispense  with  his  assistance.  Our  only  other  inter- 
preter, a  Simla  boy  named  Paul,  was  caught  stealing 
from  our  supplies  when  he  had  been  on  the  road  less 
than  a  week,  and  we  were  obliged  to  discharge  him 
on  the  spot,  from  which  moment  we  were  left  entirely 
on  our  own  resources  for  communicating  with  the 
shikaris,  who  of  course  spoke  not  a  word  of  English. 
At  the  end  of  three  months  we  were  able  to  speak 
Hindustanee  fluently  and  readily,  though  it  was 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     125 

not  the  kind  I  should  have  cared  to  address  to  a 
professor  of  languages. 

I  may  say  that  in  point  of  size  the  personnel  of  our 
outfit,  as  I  looked  back  and  saw  the  cavalcade  form- 
ing in  single  file  behind  us,  fairly  took  my  breath 
away.  Kadera  But  and  Salia  Melik,  our  two  ven- 
erable chief  shikaris,  headed  on  horseback  what 
might  have  been  called  their  respective  companies ; 
Sidka  and  Lussoo,  the  chota  or  assistant  shikaris, 
acted  as  their  lieutenants ;  the  seven  or  eight  naukar 
or  servant-coolies,  who,  unlike  the  relays  of  vil- 
lagers, were  to  serve  as  permanent  camp-servants, 
performed  the  duties  of  non-commissioned  officers ; 
while  under  their  able  guidance,  and  the  persuasion 
of  several  stout  sticks,  our  horde  of  forty-odd  vil- 
lagers composed  the  rank  and  file  of  this  imposing 
if  diminutive  army.  The  two  tiffin-coolies,  following 
close  at  our  heels  with  cameras  and  lunch-baskets, 
were  certainly  entitled  to  the  regard  usually  accorded 
to  color-bearers;  and  as  for  the  commissariat,  to 
leave  nothing  to  be  desired  in  this  military  showing, 
the  cook  and  Thomas  ably  represented  that  indis- 
pensable department. 

The  road  led  between  rice-fields,  and  was  muddy 
from  recent  rains,  but  no  such  petty  annoyance 
could  prevent  our  enjoying  the  surrounding  scene : 
ahead  lay  the  entrance  to  the  Sind  Valley,  flanked 


126  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

on  one  side  by  towering  snow-mountains,  on  the 
other  by  deodar-clad  hills,  and  at  their  base  were 
many  little  native  huts  with  grass-grown  roofs,while 
blue  and  white  irises  dotted  the  river-bank  in  pro- 
fusion. At  noon  we  reached  the  village  of  Kangan, 
the  end  of  the  first  march,  but  as  the  coolies  did  not 
arrive  till  afternoon,  it  was  impossible  to  push  on 
farther.  A  spot  was  chosen  on  the  smooth  lawn 
beside  the  village  for  the  tents  to  be  pitched  when 
they  should  arrive,  and  after  lunch,  or  tiffin  (each 
sportsman  has  a  tiffin-coolie,  who  accompanies  him 
with  lunch,  camera,  dry  socks,  and  such  other  things 
as  may  be  needed  on  the  march  while  separated 
from  the  main  baggage) ,  we  lay  down  on  the  porch 
of  a  native  house,  and,  rather  wearied  from  our  first 
walk,  were  quickly  asleep. 

I  found  the  native  chaplis  splendid  foot-gear,  and 
had  no  trouble  from  the  usual  blisters.  They  are 
composed  of  a  leathern  sandal,  with  hob-nail  soles, 
worn  over  a  sort  of  leather  moccasin,  and  with  a 
thick  woollen  sock  underneath,  so  that  the  foot  is 
allowed  plenty  of  play,  and  does  not  chafe  as  with 
boots.  The  puttoo  suits,  too,  were  warm  and  com- 
fortable, as  well  as  our  sheepskin-lined  coats,  camp- 
boots,  and  sleeping-bags,  and  soon  proved  their 
advantage  in  the  bitterly  cold  weather  we  were 
to  encounter. 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     127 

The  coolies  filed  in  at  about  three  o'clock,  and  the 
tents  were  quickly  pitched.  Ours  was  a  large  one, 
with  plenty  of  room  for  our  two  folding  bedsteads 
and  two  boxes  between  to  serve  as  writing  and 
dinner  tables.  I  had  made  out  a  written  list  of  the 
articles  of  clothing,  etc.,  in  each  of  the  canvas  bags, 
and  could  thus  lay  my  hand  on  anything  in  a  mo- 
ment, without  having  to  search  through  and  unpack 
them  continually.  When  one  has  so  much  stuff,  this 
is  an  excellent  scheme.  These  bags  were  placed  at 
the  foot  of  our  beds,  and  racks  made  for  the  guns 
underneath,  so  that  everything  was  neat  and  or- 
derly. My  only  other  article  of  personal  baggage, 
besides  the  two  canvas  sacks,  camera,  and  guns, 
was  a  small  square  English  box  which  served  to  keep 
my  diaries,  films,  letter-paper,  and  other  things  of 
that  kind,  dry  and  clean.  It  loaded  on  a  coolie's 
back  very  nearly  as  well  as  the  sacks,  and  from 
start  to  finish  of  the  trip  I  was  delighted  that  I  had 
brought  it. 

In  the  morning  our  trail  led  up  the  valley,  still 
following  the  course  of  the  Sind  River,  now  rocky 
and  turbulent,  and  of  a  beautiful  opalescent  color 
from  the  snow  and  glacial  streams  which  supplied  it. 
The  middle  of  the  day  was  excessively  hot,  a  great 
change  from  the  frosty  early  morning  air,  but  we 
rested  an  hour  for  tiffin  under  a  great  chenar  tree 


128  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

beside  a  brook,  and  in  the  afternoon  pushed  on  to 
Goond,  the  end  of  the  stage.  Here  as  before  the 
tents  were  pitched  on  a  grassy  plateau  overlooking 
a  deep  cleft  in  the  valley,  which  had  already  nar- 
rowed perceptibly:  ahead  were  snow-mountains, 
and  behind,  our  last  view  of  the  Valley  of  Kash- 
mir, framed  in  a  vista  of  blossoming  apricot  trees, 
meadow -land,  forest,  and  river. 

But  two  more  stages  were  to  bring  us  into  sur- 
roundings as  desolate  and  wintry  as  the  present 
landscape  was  warm  and  beautiful.  For  a  short  way 
the  route  led  up  the  valley  over  a  pretty  road,  with 
fruit  trees  all  in  blossom  and  new  snow-mountains 
continually  appearing.  Then  suddenly  the  flanking 
hills  closed  in,  the  rocky  sides  of  steep  mountains 
rose  on  each  side,  the  snow  falling  in  small  glaciers 
to  their  very  foot,  and  the  river  swirled  wildly 
through  a  narrow  channel,  the  entrance  to  the  Sona- 
marg  Gorge.  Fully  ten  miles  brought  us  once  more 
out  into  the  open,  but  here  no  pleasing  valley  ap- 
peared ;  only  a  vast  field  of  snow  extending  straight 
away  for  miles,  inclosed  between  grand  and  jagged 
peaks,  and  near  its  other  end  a  group  of  rude  little 
huts,  the  village  of  Sonamarg.  A  dirty  hovel,  bear- 
ing over  its  door  the  unconvincing  sign,  "  Telegraph 
Office,"  was  to  us,  weary  and  with  soaked  chaplis,  as 
luxurious  a  hostelry  as  I  remember  ever  having  run 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     129 

across ;  and  glad  enough  we  were  to  rest  by  the  open 
fire  and  watch  the  coolies  appear  from  far  down  the 
valley,  like  a  long  column  of  ants  in  the  snow. 

Four  of  the  men  each  carried  a  great  load  of  rice- 
straw,  and  on  rising  before  sunrise  on  the  following 
morning  its  use  was  discovered.  It  is  first  plaited 
into  rope  and  then  formed  into  a  sort  of  sandal  called 
a  "grass-shoe,"  and  always  used  for  snow -walking 
in  Kashmir.  They  are  worn  over  two  socks,  one  of 
puttoo,  the  other  padded,  each  having  the  big  toe 
divided,  as  in  a  mitten,  for  the  straw  rope  which 
binds  on  the  shoe  to  pass  through ;  and  they  are 
unequalled  for  warmth  and  comfort,  besides  which 
they  do  not  slip.  Our  coolies  weaved  the  shoes  while 
resting  en  route,  and  as  one  pair  lasts  but  a  day  or 
less,  a  great  amount  of  the  straw  has  to  be  carried. 
Above  the  sock  woollen  putties  are  wound  around 
the  leg  to  the  knee,  effectually  keeping  out  the 
snow. 

Baltal,  directly  beneath  the  Zogi  La  Pass,  we 
reached  after  a  march  of  ten  miles,  the  trail  all 
across  snow  or  mud  where  the  snow  was  melting, 
colored  glasses  being  most  necessary  to  protect  the 
eyes  from  the  glare.  There  was  no  village  at  Baltal 
—  only  a  low  windowless  hovel  called  a ' '  rest-house. ' ' 
This  was  ironical,  for  it  was  hardly  fit  to  house  cattle 
in,  although  they  had  recently  been  inhabiting  the 


130  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

room  we  were  to  use.  It  lay  on  the  edge  of  a  deep 
ravine,  with  great  stretches  of  snow,  leafless  trees, 
and  high,  jagged  mountains  rising  before  it,  —  a 
dreary  and  desolate  scene  after  the  beautiful  valley 
we  had  just  left.  In  front  of  the  house  was  a  sort 
of  floorless  verandah,  where  the  remains  of  several 
camp-fires  showed  that  travelling  coolies  had  re- 
cently been  there ;  and  as  we  entered  the  room  —  I 
should  call  it  a  shed  —  we  were  blinded  by  a  stifling 
cloud  of  smoke  which  evidently  came  through  from 
one  of  the  adjoining  sheds,  already  occupied  by 
natives.  Within,  it  was  pitch-dark,  except  for  the 
smoky  glimmer  that  came  through  the  low  door- 
way. 

Clearly  it  was  impossible  to  sleep  there ;  hence,  as 
the  tents  could  not  be  pitched  conveniently  in  the 
snow,  we  decided  to  have  our  beds  placed  outside 
and  endure  the  cold  rather  than  the  smoke  and  filth. 
We  then  spread  our  luis  (rugs)  in  the  dirt  in  front 
of  the  house,  and  had  lunch  from  the  baskets,  with  a 
pipe  afterwards  to  cheer  things  up  a  bit,  as  a  cold 
rain  was  driving  in.  Meanwhile  the  shikaris  had  re- 
moved our  grass-shoes  and  socks,  which  were  soaked, 
and,  as  usual,  washed  our  feet  off  with  a  rag  which 
looked  suspiciously  like  the  dish-cloth.  Knowing  the 
habits  of  the  Kashmiri,  we  watched  the  further 
movements  of  the  rag;  and,  sure  enough, before  the 


A    BALTI   VILLAGE,  SHOWING   STONE   HUTS 


A   BALTI    NATIVE   DANCE 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO   KASHMIR     131 

tea  was  poured  into  the  cups,  they  were  carefully 
wiped  out  by  the  selfsame  useful  cloth.  There  is 
nothing  like  true  economy. 

We  were  up  at  4.30,  to  attack  the  pass  before  the 
sun  should  soften  the  snow.  A  cold  drizzle  made 
things  very  damp  and  cheerless,  but  a  hot  breakfast 
accomplishes  wonders,  and  we  were  off  at  5.30,  in 
good  spirits,  on  what  was  to  be  the  hardest  stage  of 
the  journey.  The  first  part  of  the  way  was  fairly 
steep,  the  trail  winding  up  through  a  cleft  in  the 
mountains,  but  the  snow  was  still  hard  and  climb- 
ing not  difficult.  Strange  to  say,  although  we  were 
eleven  thousand  three  hundred  feet  above  the  sea, 
breathing  came  quite  naturally,  and  we  were  able  to 
keep  up  a  good  pace,  which  seemed  to  stagger  the 
shikaris,  as  they  lagged  far  behind.  After  two  hours 
of  climbing  a  long  snow-slope,  we  reached  what  was 
apparently  the  top  of  the  pass,  and  from  here  the 
going  was  level  or  slightly  down-hill.  The  rain  had 
changed  to  snow,  which  was  much  pleasanter ;  and 
though  during  the  last  four  hours  it  came  down 
thick  and  fast,  we  were  quite  warm  from  the  exer- 
cise. It  was  well  toward  dark  when  the  welcome  vil- 
lage of  Matayun  appeared  ahead  in  the  distance. 
The  sun  had  come  out  toward  the  end  of  the  stage, 
softening  the  snow,  which  caused  us  to  sink  in  knee- 
deep  at  every  step,  and  burning  our  faces  fiercely 


132  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

with  the  glare ;  rest  was  doubly  welcome  with  the 
knowledge  that  the  Zogi  La  was  behind. 

A  few  straggling  buildings,  built  of  stones  in  the 
shape  of  hollow  squares,  with  courtyards  inside  and 
flat  roofs,  composed  the  village  of  Matayun.  None 
of  these  had  windows,  and  the  filth  within,  where 
several  natives  lived,  was  enough  to  disgust  the 
most  hardened.  We  had  some  food  on  the  top  of  one 
of  these  buildings,  in  the  teeth  of  a  bitterly  cold 
wind  which  had  sprung  up  toward  the  end  of  the 
march,  and  then  repaired  to  the  usual  "  rest-house," 
where  a  fire  had  been  prepared.  This  one  was  much 
less  objectionable  than  the  one  at  Baltal,  for  al- 
though it  had  no  windows  of  any  kind,  and  the  floor 
was  as  usual  of  mud,  it  was  cut  off  from  the  native 
quarters,  so  that  their  unwelcome  odors  must  first 
pass  through  open  air  to  reach  us,  and  when  we 
"  sniffed  the  tainted  gale"  it  had  somewhat  mel- 
lowed. Moreover,  the  smoke  from  the  fire  at  least 
made  a  commendable  attempt  to  get  part  of  itself 
up  the  chimney,  which  at  Baltal  it  had  not  even 
thought  of  trying  —  chiefly  because  there  had  been 
no  chimney. 

The  following  day  brought  us  down  below  the 
snow-line,  the  trail  leaving  the  gorge  in  which  we 
had  been  since  Sonamarg,  and  broadening  out  into 
a  wide  brown  plain,  with  the  few  scattered  huts  of 


THE  JOURNEY   INTO  KASHMIR     133 

Dras  at  its  foot,  the  Dras  River  flowing  through  it 
and  superb  snow-mountains  all  around.  Since  from 
here  on  we  could  secure  fresh  coolies  at  the  beginning 
of  each  stage,  we  paid  off  the  thirty-seven  who  had 
taken  our  outfit  over  the  Zogi  La  —  eighty  cents 
apiece,  with  eight  cents  present,  or  baksheesh,  for 
the  full  trip  of  five  days.  On  figuring  up  our  entire 
service  expenses,  I  found  that  for  the  forty-eight 
men,  two  thirds  of  whom  would  be  dispensed  with 
on  reaching  our  home  camp,  my  share  amounted  to 
$2.70  a  day.  Let  one  consider  that  a  first-class  guide 
in  the  Maine  woods,  at  home,  is  paid  at  the  rate  of 
$5.00  a  day. 

The  remainder  of  the  journey  to  our  first  shooting 
grounds  was  to  be  much  less  wearisome,  since  from 
now  on  the  road  led  down  into  the  valleys  of  Baltis- 
tan,  bringing  us  among  a  new  people  and  continually 
unfolding  sights  and  scenes  of  the  greatest  interest. 


CHAPTER  VII 

IBEX-SHOOTING    IN    THE    MOUNTAINS    OF    BALTISTAN 

[NE  can  hardly  imagine  a  wilder  and 
more  mountainous  country  than  Bal- 
tistan.  Down  in  the  little  green  vil- 
lages which  lie  at  intervals  along  the 
rivers,  you  realize  simply  that  in  that  particular 
spot  you  are  shut  in  on  all  sides  by  giant  masses  of 
rock  and  snow,  which  start  from  the  very  river-bank 
and  rise  either  gradually  or  in  perpendicular  pre- 
cipices to  tremendous  heights  above.  But  as  you 
climb,  hoping  perhaps  that  each  successive  ridge 
will  reveal  some  broad  plain  or  valley  below,  only 
innumerable  other  peaks  and  ridges,  rising  and  still 
rising,  meet  your  view,  till  finally,  on  mastering 
some  commanding  eminence,  you  see  before  you  the 
stuff  that  Baltistan  is  made  of,  —  mountains,  moun- 
tains, mountains,  nothing  else,  — chain  after  chain 
of  them,  extending  in  splendid  confusion,  snow- 
capped and  barren  of  vegetation,  off  to  a  horizon 
of  serried  peaks  and  towering  ridges. 

Such  a  scene  as  this  is  worth  much  labor  to  behold, 
and  causes  you  to  realize,  if  you  have  never  realized 


A    HALT  I    HOY   COOLIE 


IBEX-SHOOTING    IN   BALTISTAN    135 

before,  that  as  a  physical  entity  you  are  after  all  but 
a  minute  atom  in  the  plan  of  creation.  Other  trains 
of  philosophical  thought  might  be  called  up  in  such 
surroundings,  did  not  the  much  more  practical  if 
prosaic  truth  occur  to  you  that  you  are  aiming  at  a 
spot  some  hundreds  of  miles  across  those  mountains, 
and  that  in  order  to  reach  it  that  splendid  but  all  too 
prominent  landscape  has  to  be  crossed.  It  is  only  by 
plugging  at  it  little  by  little,  stage  by  stage,  that  it 
ever  is  crossed.  There  are  moments  of  discourage- 
ment, of  course.  Sometimes  the  trail  will  lead  you 
two  thousand  feet  straight  up  into  the  air  and  two 
thousand  feet  straight  down  to  river-level  again,  and 
all  the  sweat  of  that  honest  toil  may  have  advanced 
you  just  half  a  mile  on  your  way.  But  as  every  half- 
mile  is  put  behind  your  back,  the  satisfaction  of 
having  overcome  difficulties  gives  you  just  so  much 
encouragement  for  the  labor  which  lies  ahead.  This 
was  the  sort  of  work  which  from  now  on  was  to  at- 
tend our  journey. 

Fortunately,  however,  it  is  not  all  barren  rock 
and  sand  that  marks  the  trail.  The  Balti  villages  lie 
along  the  rocky  ravines  like  oases  in  this  desert 
of  mountains ;  and  as  they  depend  for  cultivation 
entirely  on  furrow-irrigation,  each  one,  of  course, 
clusters  about  some  mountain  stream  which  often 
shoots  in  a  mighty  waterfall  from  a  precipice  behind. 


136  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

The  wheat  is  grown  in  little  terraces,  banked  one 
above  the  other,  beginning  at  the  river-edge  and  ex- 
tending to  some  distance  up  the  mountain-side.  If 
one  comes  upon  a  village  from  the  river-level,  one 
sees  only  the  stone  walls  which  bank  up  the  terraces ; 
but  if  one  looks  down  from  a  high  cliff,  as  is  often  the 
case  before  descending,  a  mass  of  the  most  brilliant 
green,  intersected  with  the  irregular  lines  of  the 
walls,  lies  spread  out  below.  Every  village,  too,  is  an 
orchard  of  apricot  and  mulberry  trees,  which  adds 
immeasurably  to  the  pleasing  effect;  and  very  re- 
freshing it  is,  after  tramping  for  hours  through  bar- 
ren ravines  and  over  hot,  stony  cliffs,  to  drop  down 
into  one  of  these  villages,  nearly  drown  one's  self  in 
the  icy  stream,  and  then  lie  back  at  ease  on  a  cool 
lawn  shaded  by  the  fruit  trees,  to  watch  the  tents 
being  pitched  and  supper  prepared. 

The  natives  in  these  villages  used  to  crowd  around 
our  camp  and  watch  us  in  the  processes  of  dressing, 
washing,  and  eating,  with  insatiable  curiosity,  and 
this  was  often  so  embarrassing  that  we  were  obliged 
to  have  them  forcibly  driven  away.  They  are  a 
strange-looking  race,  these  Baltis,  with  their  heads 
shaven  on  top  and  at  the  back,  but  at  the  sides  their 
black  hair  growing  long  and  falling  in  unkempt 
locks,  generally  interwoven  with  bright  yellow  flow- 
ers. Their  dress  consists  of  a  single  tunic  of  the 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    137 

roughest  homespun  puttoo,  a  coarse  material  re- 
sembling sackcloth  in  texture.  Their  houses  in  the 
smaller  villages  are  often  mere  caves  in  the  ground, 
with  a  hole  leading  straight  down  for  entrance,  or 
else  low  huts  of  stone  seldom  higher  than  a  man's 
height,  with  flat  mud  roofs,  windowless,  and  with 
but  a  single  opening  in  the  roof  for  the  smoke  of 
their  fires  to  pass  through.  The  men  seem  to  be  of 
two  distinct  types:  one  class  have  Mongolian  fea- 
tures and  are  of  Tibetan  origin;  the  other  have 
Tartar  blood  and  are  allied  to  the  Dards.  Some  of 
them,  especially  the  older  men,  have  a  very  wild 
appearance.  The  women  seldom  show  themselves 
and  always  hide  behind  rocks  or  run  up  the  hillsides 
when  they  see  white  men  approaching.  The  men, 
however,  with  all  their  rough  exterior,  are  always 
courteous,  and  seldom  pass  without  the  customary 
raising  of  the  hand  and  "Salaam,  Sahib,"  to  which 
the  white  man  answers,  "  Salaam,"  that  is, "  Peace." 
At  the  end  of  our  second  stage  from  Dras,  on  turn- 
ing suddenly  into  a  narrow  and  wild  ravine  of  the 
Dras  River,  we  came  upon  a  little  cleared  space  on 
the  very  edge  of  a  precipice,  where  a  Balti  polo  game 
was  in  full  swing ;  and  for  the  interest  of  beholding 
one  of  the  greatest  of  games  played  on  its  native 
heath,  and  by  the  very  people  who  centuries  ago  in- 
vented it,  we  stopped  to  watch.  Some  eight  or  ten 


138  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

natives,  in  their  long  puttoo  coats,  were  tearing  up 
and  down  the  field  on  shaggy  little  ponies,  with  rude, 
short  mallets,  and  chasing  a  rough-hewn  ball.  A 
small  crowd  of  Baltis  watched  the  game  from  a 
large  rock  which  formed  a  sort  of  grand-stand,  while 
a  flute  and  drum  supplied  weird  native  music  for 
the  occasion ;  and  as  we  took  our  seats  on  the  rock, 
the  players,  seeing  their  audience  increased  by  two 
weary  but  appreciative  sahibs,  went  at  it  with  re- 
doubled energy,  and  gave  as  fine  an  exhibition  of 
polo  as  the  primitive  quality  of  field,  sticks,  and 
ball  would  allow  —  a  strange  scene  to  find  in  such  a 
wilderness.  The  game  finished,  a  native  dance  was 
performed  for  our  further  amusement,  and  we  were 
then  ceremoniously  escorted  by  the  lumbardar,  who 
was  captain  of  one  of  the  teams,  to  the  serai  or 
rest-house  of  the  village,  where  the  usual  gifts  of 
nuts  and  dried  apricots  were  brought  us.  The  ripe 
apricot  is  too  small  to  make  a  good  fruit,  but  dried 
and  pressed  into  balls  of  a  dozen  or  so  each,  they 
form  what  is  known  as  kobani  —  an  indigestible  but 
very  delicious  sweetmeat.  These  offerings  of  dried 
fruit  and  nuts  from  the  lumbardars  were  never 
omitted  in  the  villages  through  which  we  passed; 
perhaps  they  knew  it  meant  baksheesh  to  many 
times  the  worth  of  their  gifts,  but  we  accepted  and 
paid  for  them  cheerfully. 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    139 

At  the  end  of  a  long  march  of  thirty-one  miles  the 
following  day,  —  four  hours  in  the  morning  over  a 
bad  trail  of  difficult  climbs  and  steep  descents,  and 
seventeen  miles  in  the  afternoon  to  Tarkutti,  —  we 
came  upon  our  first  rope-bridge  across  the  Indus. 
The  ingenuity  in  the  making  of  such  a  bridge  with 
no  material  but  twisted  twigs,  strong  enough  to  hold 
the  weight  of  any  number  of  coolies  with  their  loads, 
and  long  enough  to  be  swung  from  cliff  to  cliff  across 
this  great  river,  is  a  source  of  wonder.  Yet  there  it 
swings,  with  three  strands  of  twisted  twigs,  one  for 
each  hand  to  grasp,  one  to  guide  the  feet,  sagging 
gracefully  from  the  tops  of  the  mighty  cliffs  that 
flank  the  river,  occasionally  swaying  slightly  in  the 
wind,  but  firm  and  safe  as  a  bridge  of  rock  and  iron. 
The  sensation  when  one  has  felt  one's  way  to  its 
centre  and  stands  looking  down  at  the  torrent  swirl- 
ing a  hundred  feet  below  is,  to  say  the  least,  a 
strange  one.  I  was  glad  enough  to  creep  across  un- 
incumbered  ;  to  have  had  to  lug  the  heavy  loads  our 
coolies  carried  would  have  been  a  handicap  which  I 
should  as  gracefully  as  possible  have  declined. 

A  twenty-six  mile  march  on  the  following  day 
brought  us  to  Parkutta  —  a  village  rather  larger 
than  the  others  through  which  we  had  passed ;  and 
as  we  entered  it  an  amusing  scene  greeted  us.  Under 
an  enormous  chenar  tree  in  the  centre  of  the  town, 


140  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  completely  shut  off  from  the  outside  world  by 
the  dense  foliage  of  the  trees,  was  a  little  round 
cleared  space,  where,  apparently,  all  the  villagers 
were  gathered  in  a  circle,  five  or  six  deep,  and  with 
shouting,  clapping,  and  the  usual  discordant  Balti 
music,  were  beating  time  for  six  men  dancing  in  the 
centre.  These,  with  waving  riding-whips,  singing 
and  laughing,  careered  madly  around  in  the  space 
cleared  for  them.  I  soon  discovered  from  the  Rajah 
of  the  district,  who  lives  here,  that  they  were  the 
victorious  team  of  the  afternoon's  polo  match,  cele- 
brating their  victory ;  and  not  only  had  the  men 
turned  out  to  cheer  them,  but  the  housetops  near 
by  were  crowded  with  women  and  children,  all  show- 
ing their  enthusiasm  in  the  most  vociferous  manner. 
Indeed,  it  was  not  unlike  a  college  football  triumph 
at  home,  and  away  out  here  in  the  heart  of  Asia  it 
seemed  most  strange  and  picturesque. 

As  we  dismounted,  there  was  at  once  a  respect- 
ful silence,  and  the  Rajah,  coming  out  of  the  circle 
and  salaaming,  led  us  under  a  tree,  where  a  shawl 
and  chair  were  at  once  brought.  He  then  offered  us 
cigarettes,  which  we  felt  out  of  courtesy  bound  to 
accept,  though  they  were  exceedingly  vile,  and  or- 
dered the  festivities  to  proceed.  After  the  main  dance 
was  finished,  each  of  the  players  danced  alone,  re- 
tiring in  turn  as  he  finished  and  salaaming  to  us. 


IBEX-SHOOTING  IN   BALTISTAN    141 

The  music  was  afforded  by  six  tomtoms,  three  flutes, 
and  a  big  horn,  which  as  usual  created  the  most  pain- 
ful discords  imaginable,  and  the  natives  howled  in 
unison. 

It  then  occurred  to  us  that  we  were  ravenously 
hungry,  having  had  nothing  to  eat  for  eight  hours ; 
and  as  the  luggage  was  still  some  distance  back  on 
the  road,  we  intimated  to  the  Rajah  that  anything 
eatable  would  be  most  acceptable.  Tea  was  at  once 
brought  in  an  enormous  samovar,  —  a  kettle  heated 
by  coals  in  a  chamber  inside,  —  and  wheat-cakes, 
which  we  gratefully  received,  and  did  not  stand  on 
much  ceremony  about  falling  to.  The  inner  man 
having  been  temporarily  satisfied,  we  repaired  to 
our  camp-ground,  where  the  Rajah  sat  with  us  till 
our  tents  were  pitched,  smoking  from  a  water-pipe 
held  by  a  kneeling  servant,  and  would  not  go  even 
when  we  were  most  anxious  to  take  our  evening  tub 
before  dinner,  though  he  looked  at  us  in  an  appeal- 
ing sort  of  way  as  if  he  too  were  quite  ready  to  leave. 
Finally  an  interpreter  came  from  the  Rajah's  house 
and  whispered  that  His  Highness  had  been  awaiting 
our  gracious  permission  to  leave  during  the  last  half- 
hour.  We  gave  it  without  delay,  and  are  now  wiser 
on  points  of  Balti  etiquette. 

On  the  following  morning  the  Rajah  again  ap- 
peared, no  longer  in  his  bright  green  riding-suit, 


I42  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

English  tan  boots,  and  brilliant  golf-stockings,  but 
in  white  robes,  and  red  slippers  which  turned  up  at 
the  ends  like  the  bow  of  a  gondola.  Having  no 
extra  knives,  we  were  at  a  loss  to  know  what  sort  of 
a  present  to  give  him,  but  at  last  tried  ten  shot-car- 
tridges, which  he  received  with  the  most  evident 
delight,  and  we  took  leave  at  once. 

As  we  proceeded  down  through  the  valleys  we 
were,  it  seemed,  moving  gradually  from  winter  to 
spring  and  from  spring  to  full-blown  summer  —  as 
mellow  and  fragrant  a  summer  as  ever  made  life 
doubly  worth  living.  The  wheat  was  higher  in  the 
fields,  the  apricot  blossoms  had  given  place  to  full- 
formed  fruit,  the  birds  were  of  the  most  brilliantly 
colored  plumage  and  seemed  to  fill  everything  with 
their  song.  Every  village  was  a  little  paradise  in  it- 
self. And  though  the  midday  was  as  warm  as  could 
be  without  making  our  marches  uncomfortable,  the 
nights  and  early  mornings  were  always  crisp  and 
delicious. 

Thus  far  we  had  had  little  or  no  trouble  with  our 
men.  The  shikaris  and  chota-shikaris  who,  as  our 
slight  knowledge  of  Hindustanee  improved,  we  were 
coming  to  know  better,  seemed  like  hard-working 
men,  efficient  in  camp  and  always  respectful.  That 
they  would  cheat  us  in  small  ways  over  the  money 
for  supplies,  etc.,  we  had  foreseen  before  starting, 


IBEX    HEAD 


THE   44-INCH    HEAD 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    143 

for  the  Kashmiri  is  a  pilferer  first,  last,  and  all  the 
time ;  but  I  was  fortunate  in  having  Thomas  as  a 
servant,  whom  I  could  trust  with  my  last  cent,  and 
as  there  was  more  or  less  jealousy  between  himself 
and  the  Kashmiris,  he  was  distinctly  a  stumbling- 
block  in  their  path.  Now  it  happened  that  we  had 
long  suspected  the  cook  of  making  small  inroads 
on  our  tea,  sugar,  and  rice  supplies :  these  are  great 
delicacies  to  the  Kashmiri  palate,  for  their  ordinary 
fare  consists  simply  of  coarse  flour,  cooked  and 
formed  into  cakes  known  as  chupatties. 

Not  wishing  to  have  to  discharge  our  only  cook, 
however,  we  had  wisely  contented  ourselves  with 
telling  Thomas  to  keep  an  eye  open  and  not  let  the 
supplies  disappear  in  toto.  Moreover,  Rule  i  of  the 
Indian  cook-book  says,  "  Do  not  discharge  your  cook 
because  he  is  dishonest :  they  are  all  dishonest,  and 
he  may  be  a  good  cook."  But  alas  for  our  broad- 
minded  intentions,  Thomas's  eye  seemed  to  be  open 
day  and  night,  watching  for  his  chance  to  score  on 
the  ill-fated  cook,  and  a  dramatic  scene  in  camp 
one  evening  resulted  in  the  unavoidable  breaking 
of  Rule  i. 

We  were  startled  just  before  dinner  by  a  cry  of 
triumph  from  Thomas,  and  running  out  of  the  tent, 
found  him  pointing  one  finger  like  an  accusing  angel 
at  the  cook,  while  with  the  other  hand  he  beckoned 


144  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

us  to  approach  and  behold  the  guilty  exposed.  As 
the  novel  would  put  it,  the  villain  stood  with  guilt 
written  on  every  line  of  his  countenance,  but  as 
Thomas  looked  away  for  a  moment,  I  saw  the  vil- 
lain make  a  quick  pass  and  hide  something  under  the 
rock  which  formed  the  stove.  We  then  approached, 
determined  to  see  justice  done,  and  told  Thomas  to 
prove  his  accusation.  Thomas,  with  a  self-confident 
smile,  stated  that  the  cook  had  just  hidden  in  his 
pocket  half  the  rice  which  was  to  be  used  for  our 
pudding  and  which  he,  Thomas,  had  measured  out 
to  the  cook  from  the  locked  rice-kilta  a  moment  be- 
fore. We  coldly  told  him  to  show  us  the  rice,  and 
piece  by  piece  Thomas  undressed  the  unresisting 
cook,  carefully  examining  each  garment,  till  the  de- 
fendant stood  as  Heaven  first  made  him,  apparently 
acquitted. 

Poor  Thomas  was  flustered :  he  thought  he  had 
made  an  embarrassing  mistake  which  would  forever 
lower  him  in  our  estimation  and  in  that  of  the  shi- 
karis, and  the  tears  began  to  come.  I  thought  the 
old  man  had  had  enough,  though  his  discomfiture 
was  most  amusing,  and  stepping  forward,  I  pointed 
carelessly  to  the  stone.  Thomas  swooped  on  it  like 
an  eagle  and  gave  a  battle-shout  of  triumph,  which 
must  have  been  heard  by  half  the  village,  as  he  un- 
earthed the  stolen  rice.  We  had  a  hard  time  to  keep 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    145 

our  faces  calm  and  severe  as  became  our  position  as 
judges  in  this  impromptu  tribunal.  The  result  was 
that  on  searching  the  cook's  bedding  a  large  quan- 
tity of  stolen  provisions  was  found,  and  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  have  the  shikaris  give  him  a 
beating  and  to  discharge  him  on  the  spot,  which 
meant  for  him  at  least  a  lonely  two-hundred-mile 
tramp  back  to  civilization.  Fortunately  one  of  the 
coolies  was  found  to  be  an  excellent  cook,  and  all 
ended  well ;  there  was  no  further  attempt  at  steal- 
ing during  the  trip,  for  which  we  had  Thomas  to 
thank,  and  thenceforth  he  moved  in  an  exclusive 
circle,  several  heavens  above  that  of  the  others. 

At  last,  after  sixteen  days  of  marching,  in  which 
time  we  had  accomplished  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-six miles,  we  found  ourselves  at  the  mouth  of 
the  valley  of  the  Basha  River,  the  entrance  to  the 
nullah  in  which  our  first  shooting  was  to  be  found. 
And  now  came  the  question  as  to  what  consti- 
tutes a  "nullah"  which  one  sportsman  can  hold 
exclusively  while  camped  therein ;  for  a  letter  was 
brought  us  on  the  night  before  entering,  from  a 
sahib  who  claimed  that  he  was  already  within  its 
limits,  and  that  he  thus  had  the  right  to  the  whole 
valley. 

To  describe  the  situation  briefly,  the  valley  of  the 
Basha  is  some  twelve  miles  long,  being  divided  by 


146  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

narrow  necks  into  practically  three  distinct  sections ; 
and  as  one  of  these  sections  offered  ample  shooting 
ground  for  one  or  even  two  men,  it  seemed  absurd 
that  one  gun  could  claim  the  whole  valley.  Accord- 
ingly, after  some  courteous  correspondence  with  the 
other  man,  we  sent  a  coolie  runner  to  the  nearest 
telegraph  office,  some  forty  miles  distant,  with  a  mes- 
sage to  the  secretary  of  the  Game  Association  in 
Srinagar,  requesting  him  to  decide  the  question,  and 
we  meanwhile  moved  camp  to  the  upper  section  of 
the  valley,  some  eight  or  ten  miles  away  from  the 
other  sportsman's  camp,  fully  determined  to  con- 
sider it  our  own,  believing  the  right  to  be  on  our  side. 
We  ourselves  then  split  camp,  each  to  take  a  side  of 
the  upper  section,  as  we  had  resolved  to  shoot  sep- 
arately. 

This  third  section  was  a  beautiful  spot.  On  the 
right  were  broad,  steep  hillsides,  covered  with  low 
furze-bushes  which  afforded  the  ibex  their  feeding- 
grounds  ;  and  these  slopes  rose  steeply  to  the  crags 
and  snow  above,  being  cleft  in  two  places  by  small 
nullahs  with  rocky  bottoms  and  small  streams.  On 
the  other  side  towered  vast  mountains,  whose  sides 
seemed  almost  too  steep  and  too  snowy  to  offer  good 
feeding-grounds,  though  we  had  marked  down  sev- 
eral big  herds  there.  But  the  real  magnificence  of 
the  valley  lay  in  the  scene  at  its  head,  where  a  huge 


SEARCHING   FOR   IBEX 


IBEX   COUNTRY 

The  ground  in  this  picture  is  all  of  ice,  formed  by  a  glacier 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    147 

single  mountain,  covered  entirely  with  snow,  rose 
quite  alone;  and,  lit  up  in  the  early  morning  sun- 
light, when  the  rest  of  the  nullah  was  still  in  shadow, 
the  effect  was  superb. 

Ibex-stalking  is  not  easy,  for  the  habits  of  the  ani- 
mals are  all  conducive  to  their  safety,  and  their 
senses  of  sight,  smell,  and  hearing  are  very  acute. 
Before  sunrise  they  graze  down  to  the  lower  slopes, 
but  as  the  sun  grows  hot  they  ascend  again  to  the 
snow,  where  they  sleep  in  inaccessible  positions  dur- 
ing the  day,  always  with  one  or  more  females  posted 
as  sentinels.  Toward  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
they  again  graze  downward  till  dark.  The  whole 
success  of  a  stalk  depends,  of  course,  on  getting  be- 
hind a  ridge  to  leeward  of  the  herd  and  having  them 
graze  to  within  range,  or  else  on  following  them  care- 
fully from  ridge  to  ridge  as  they  move  off.  If  they 
remain  out  in  the  flat  ground,  approach  is  absolutely 
impossible.  The  game  laws  of  Kashmir  allow  six 
ibex  to  each  gun. 

It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  feel  a  gun  in  one's  hands 
again ;  a  two  weeks'  march  to  one's  shooting-grounds 
whets  one's  keenness  for  the  sport  as  nothing  else 
can  do.  Kadera  and  Sidka  were  moving  about  camp 
before  the  first  appearance  of  dawn ;  I  awoke  to  the 
welcome  sound  of  a  crackling  fire  and  dressed  at 
once,  my  teeth  chattering  in  the  cold  morning  air. 


148  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

A  cup  of  steaming  coffee,  and  we  started  single  file 
for  the  head  of  the  nullah,  where,  during  the  past 
few  days,  several  herds  had  been  marked  down.  As 
we  entered  the  upper  section,  the  big  mountain  at 
its  head  was  beginning  to  glow ;  the  hillsides  on  the 
right  were  emerging  from  shadow,  and  gradually  we 
could  make  out  several  dark  spots  about  half-way 
up  to  the  first  ridge.  They  were  the  big  herd  of  ibex 
which  for  two  days  past  we  had  been  watching 
eagerly  from  a  distance,  hoping  vainly  to  see  them 
move  into  a  position  where  stalking  would  be  pos- 
sible. Now  I  saw  at  once  that  they  were  headed 
straight  up  toward  the  ridge  which  topped  the  first 
spur  of  the  mountain ;  behind  this  there  was  a  de- 
clivity; if  they  should  disappear  behind  it,  a  suc- 
cessful stalk  might  be  made,  for  the  wind  was  to- 
ward us. 

With  the  greatest  caution  we  crept  along  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  crouched  painfully,  but  not  daring 
to  let  ourselves  be  seen  for  a  moment.  A  single 
glimpse  of  us  would  send  the  whole  herd  dashing 
off  in  a  panic  to  their  mountain  retreats.  When  im- 
mediately below  them,  we  halted  and  without  a 
whisper  or  motion  waited  and  watched.  They  were 
maddeningly  slow  in  their  ascent  to  the  ridge.  This 
formidable  mountain-side  which  they  were  taking 
so  deliberately  and  easily  now  would,  I  knew,  have 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    149 

to  be  covered  by  us  at  top  speed  when  once  the  last 
of  the  herd  had  disappeared;  and  the  prospect 
made  me  doubly  impatient  to  be  off. 

A  full  hour  of  shivering  in  the  gully  had  passed. 
Then  the  leader  of  the  herd  reached  the  top.  He 
stood  for  a  moment  outlined  against  the  sky,  his 
great  ridged  horns  curving  gracefully  over  his  back, 
—  I  could  see  that  they  were  over  forty  inches,  — 
looked  steadily  over  the  ridge  for  several  minutes  to 
make  sure  that  all  was  safe  ahead,  then  turned  to 
call  his  herd  and  disappeared.  Without  moving  from 
my  crouched  position,  I  carefully  removed  all  un- 
necessary clothing,  shed  my  fur  gloves,  and  slipped 
a  cartridge  into  each  barrel  of  the  .450  cordite  Hol- 
land and  Holland  express.  There  might  be  no  time 
for  loading  at  the  top.  Kadera  held  the  30-40  Win- 
chester, whose  magazine  was  full,  and  started  to  fol- 
low my  example  of  slipping  a  cartridge  into  the  bar- 
rel, but  I  motioned  him  to  stop.  Put  anything  into 
the  hands  of  an  excited  Kashmiri  but  a  loaded  gun. 
One  by  one  the  rest  of  the  herd  stood  outlined  on  the 
ridge  and  dropped  out  of  sight,  but  the  stragglers 
were  slow,  and  without  the  fur  coat  my  joints  were 
already  stiffening  with  cold.  I  moved  slightly  to 
ease  my  position  —  there  was  a  scurry  above  us,  and 
the  straggling  cows  dashed  over  the  ridge.  Had 
I  spoiled  the  stalk?  If  so,  there  would  be  ample 


150  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

opportunity  for  remorse  afterwards ;  now  my  only 
object  was  to  get  up  to  the  ridge  in  the  least  possible 
time,  and  we  started. 

In  the  first  five  minutes  of  dashing  up  a  mountain- 
side, no  matter  in  how  good  condition  is  the  hunter, 
his  breath  leaves  him  utterly,  his  throat  seems  pulled 
together  as  if  by  a  strangling  rope,  and  his  chest  feels 
like  caving  in.  He  tells  himself  that  he  cannot  pos- 
sibly do  it,  that  he  must  slow  up  or  choke,  and  the 
surer  he  is  that  he  has  taken  his  last  step,  the  harder 
he  goes  at  it.  The  second  five  minutes  are  easier; 
his  muscles  limber  up,  his  throat  loosens,  his  breath 
comes  more  regularly ;  in  the  third  five  minutes  he 
has  no  desire  to  stop.  But  this  is  just  where  a  rest 
is  necessary,  for  there  is  no  use  in  coming  on  the 
game  with  the  heart  pounding  like  a  trip-hammer. 
He  must  stop  and  imagine  himself  anywhere  but 
about  to  reach  in  the  next  minute  the  point  on  which 
the  whole  success  of  his  stalk  depends.  If  he  can  do 
this,  he  will  have  almost  immediate  control  of  nerves 
and  muscles. 

I  waited,  then  crept  to  the  ridge  and  peered  over. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  away,  filing  slowly  up 
a  shale  cleft  in  the  mountain  and  totally  unaware 
of  our  presence,  were  the  whole  herd,  broadside  on. 
With  the  telescope  it  was  easy  to  pick  out  several 
fine  heads,  but  they  were  shifting  like  the  bits  of 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    151 

glass  in  a  kaleidoscope,  and  at  that  distance  we 
could  hardly  choose  among  them.  It  was  fairly 
safe,  though,  to  pick  out  any  dark-colored  buck.  I 
rested  the  express  carefully  on  the  ridge,  sighted, 
and  fired.  The  buck  I  had  aimed  at  stopped  short, 
shot  through  the  hind-quarters;  the  second  barrel 
sent  him  dashing  off  down  the  shale.  The  herd  had 
split  up  and  were  dashing  off  in  every  direction, 
some  tearing  down  the  slope,  starting  small  ava- 
lanches of  shale  and  rocks  in  their  flight,  others 
making  for  the  cliffs  and  scrambling  up  as  only  a 
goat  can  climb.  I  was  sitting  astride  the  ridge  now. 
Kadera  and  Sidka  had  gone  completely  crazy  with 
excitement;  they  were  pounding  me  on  the  back 
and  shouting:  "  Bara  wallah,  bara  wallah,  Sahib! 
Maro !"  (Big  one,  big  one,  Sahib !  Shoot !) 

Needless  to  say  their  exhortations  made  shooting 
for  the  moment  a  physical  impossibility,  nor  were 
they  conducive  to  perfect  coolness  on  my  part.  I 
seemed  to  see  a  regular  kaleidoscope  of  "bara  wal- 
lahs" in  every  direction.  Then  I  managed  to  calm 
Kadera  slightly,  and  taking  the  Winchester  from 
him,  held  it  on  a  buck  who  was  trying  to  scale  what 
appeared  to  be  a  perfectly  sheer  precipice  to  the  left. 
He  would  have  got  up  it,  too,  if  I  had  waited  a  mo- 
ment longer,  but  the  first  shot  brought  him  tum- 
bling, and  he  fell  sheer  twenty  yards  quite  dead. 


152  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

Another  was  still  in  sight  far  up  the  cliff,  scram- 
bling, slipping,  leaping.  I  took  the  express  and 
fired  again,  but  it  was  a  hard  shot.  The  second 
barrel  caught  him  amidships  as  he  reached  the 
level,  and  he  made  off,  badly  wounded. 

The  result  of  this  first  shot  was  not  all  that  could 
be  desired,  since  of  my  three  animals  only  one  lay 
dead,  and  it  was  impossible  to  say  how  far  the 
others  might  go  before  they  dropped.  Following  a 
newly  wounded  ibex  through  the  mountains  is  use- 
less, for  he  will  quickly  distance  the  hunter  and 
make  for  some  inaccessible  cliff  before  resting ;  but 
if  allowed  to  go  unwatched,  the  chances  are  in  favor 
of  his  soon  lying  down  in  a  place  whither  he  may 
later  be  tracked.  Accordingly  we  skinned  the  dead 
one,  reaching  the  body  by  a  difficult  descent  over 
the  slipping  shale,  and  finding  his  horns  to  measure 
but  thirty  inches,  the  minimum  size  a  sportsman 
should  shoot,  returned  in  a  rather  unsatisfactory 
frame  of  mind  to  camp. 

But  the  first  discouragement  was  not  to  last. 
With  a  local  guide,  the  wounded  animals  were 
tracked  before  daylight  on  the  following  morning, 
and  before  long  both  were  found  quite  dead,  the 
heads  measuring  respectively  forty  and  thirty-nine 
inches,  which  quickly  cleared  away  all  doubts  as  to 
the  success  of  the  first  stalk,  and  put  me  in  the  best 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    153 

of  spirits.  A  long,  busy  day  in  camp  followed,  for 
the  heads  and  skins  had  to  be  cleaned  and  salted, 
and  if  I  had  known  then  what  was  in  store  for  the 
morrow,  I  should  not  have  begrudged  the  repose 
which  this  afforded. 

Yet  the  first  excitement  of  the  hunt  makes  one 
keen  for  more.  News  had  already  come  from  Perry 
in  the  other  section  that  his  first  stalk  had  brought 
him  two  heads,  and  made  me  more  eager  than  ever 
to  secure  my  six.  In  such  a  country  as  we  had  come 
upon,  this  depended  more  on  activity  and  accurate 
shooting  than  on  the  mere  hunting  about  for  herds. 
They  were  everywhere;  the  question  was  only  to 
stalk  successfully.  So  delays  were  irksome. 

The  1st  of  June  dawned  as  all  days  in  that  won- 
derful country  seem  to  dawn,  in  a  flood  of  sunlight, 
cloudless  and  crisply  cold.  But  before  the  great 
mountain  at  the  valley's  head  had  received  the  first 
tints  of  morning  we  were  crouched  behind  a  spur  of 
the  glacier  and  searching  with  the  glasses  the  sur- 
rounding heights.  It  was  but  a  few  moments  before 
a  large  herd  was  found  far  across,  on  the  steep 
mountain-side  which  rose  to  the  north,  and  though 
a  full  half-mile  of  serried  glacier  lay  between,  it 
seemed  advisable  to  undertake  the  work  and  make 
our  second  stalk  in  country  as  yet  undisturbed  by 
firing. 


154  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

The  crossing  was  rather  more  than  I  had  bar- 
gained for ;  again  and  again  an  impossible  crevasse, 
or  an  ice-covered  slope  which  led  to  the  edge  of  some 
ugly  break  in  the  glacier,  necessitated  a  retracing 
of  our  steps  and  a  new  start,  and  only  at  the  end  of 
two  hours  did  we  reach  the  farther  side,  weary  and 
dripping. 

A  steep  ascent  of  the  mountain-side  followed,  and 
once  at  the  top,  a  sheltering  tree  afforded  a  few 
moments'  rest,  where  we  could  observe  the  game 
unnoticed.  The  heads  that  appeared  on  that  open 
mountain-slope  were  larger  than  any  we  had  yet 
run  across.  The  larger  bucks  were  all  of  the  dark- 
est brown,  their  horns  curving  magnificently  over 
their  backs  and  their  beards  hanging  long  and 
shaggy.  Before  we  had  watched  ten  minutes  the 
whole  herd  moved  off  behind  a  ridge,  but  as  usual 
a  solitary  female  was  left  posted,  and  the  slight- 
est movement  from  behind  our  tree  would  have 
spoiled  it  all. 

The  longed-for  moment  came  after  an  impatient 
wait,  the  female  slowly  moving  behind  the  ridge, 
leaving  a  clear  but  hazardous  slope  for  us  to  cross  in 
order  to  get  within  range.  It  was  surprising  to  me 
how  we  kept  from  slipping,  but  something  on  the 
plan  of  a  hundred-yard  dash  and  a  rather  studied 
nonchalance  respecting  the  precipice  just  below 


IBEX-SHOOTING    IN    BALTISTAN     155 

brought  us  to  the  ridge  without  a  stumble,  and  we 
dropped  over. 

The  next  five  minutes  made  all  the  weary  miles  and 
days  of  travelling  worth  while  many  times  over.  My 
first  impression  was  that  we  had  somehow  fallen  in 
the  very  midst  of  a  perfectly  tame  herd  of  the  largest 
ibex  on  record,  for  the  animals  appeared  so  thunder- 
struck at  seeing  us  quietly  and  suddenly  drop  in 
among  them  that  for  a  moment  they  remained  per- 
fectly motionless.  Then  of  course  there  was  a  scurry, 
and  the  sport  began. 

My  first  buck  dropped  before  he  had  covered 
ten  yards,  and  a  careful  shot  from  a  knee-rest 
brought  down  another  that  had  gone  but  a  short 
distance  farther  —  two  forty-inch  heads.  I  was  now 
allowed  but  one  more  by  law,  and  was  unwilling  to 
fire  at  any  ordinary-sized  head ;  several  bucks  were 
still  in  sight,  but  they  were  scattered  and  were  tear- 
ing up  the  mountain-side  at  a  rapid  pace. 

Kadera,  however,  had  stopped  my  hand  after  the 
first  two  successful  shots,  and  pointed  to  a  ridge  far 
above,  from  behind  which  in  a  moment  dashed  a 
magnificent  animal  with  horns  very  much  larger 
than  any  I  had  yet  noticed.  As  I  found  afterwards, 
he  had  been  crouched  behind  a  rock  when  we  had 
first  come  upon  the  herd,  and  it  was  for  this  reason 
I  had  not  aimed  at  him  once.  Though  still  not  too 


156  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

late,  the  mark  was  a  small  one.  Some  six  shots 
ploughed  up  the  sand  about  him ;  then  he  stumbled, 
but  regained  his  feet,  and  was  immediately  lost  to 
sight  behind  a  ridge. 

The  account  of  how  that  superb  animal  was 
tracked  by  his  blood-trail  far  into  the  mountains, 
how  his  horns  were  found  to  measure  fully  forty- 
four  inches  from  base  to  tip,  and  how  we  returned 
at  dusk  across  the  glacier  to  camp,  worn  out  by  the 
hardest  of  stalks,  but  happy  in  the  realization  of 
complete  success,  would  be,  I  fear,  of  less  interest  in 
the  recounting  than  was  the  experience  itself.  To 
complete  the  satisfaction,  a  telegram  was  found 
awaiting  us  at  camp  from  the  secretary  of  the  Game 
Association  at  Srinagar,  stating  that  the  Basha  Nul- 
lah could  rightly  hold  more  than  one  gun,  and  that 
we  were  justified  in  having  claimed  our  share  of  the 
valley.  Perry,  in  the  other  section  of  the  nullah, 
soon  afterwards  secured  not  only  his  six  ibex  heads 
but  three  fine  red  bear  as  well. 

That  night  Kadera  came  to  my  tent  and  cheer- 
fully informed  me  that  he  had  promised  Buddha, 
in  the  event  of  my  complete  success,  a  sacrifice  of 
two  fat  sheep.  After  a  few  moments  of  embar- 
rassing silence  following  my  assent,  I  was  further  in- 
formed, still  cheerfully,  though  perhaps  a  trifle  less 
confidently,  that  the  promise  had  been  made  in 


TAKEN    FROM   THE   CENTRE   OF   THE   ROPE    BRIDLE 


IBEX-SHOOTING   IN   BALTISTAN    157 

my  behalf.    I  had  wondered  who  was  to  pay  for 
them! 

So  the  sacrificial  fire  was  built,  the  sheep  killed, 
and  far  into  the  night  the  shikaris  and  coolies  feasted 
in  the  moonlight,  squatting  in  a  circle  about  my 
tent. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MARKHOR  AND    SHARPU    SHOOTING   IN    BALTISTAN 

|HE  beginning  of  our  long  march  to  the 
markhor  country  was  marked  by  an 
episode  which  was  as  amusing  as  it  was 
unexpected,  and  which  I  must  truth- 
fully aver  at  the  outset  came  about  through  circum- 
stances over  which  we  had  no  control.  A  perfectly 
innocent  remark  to  the  shikaris  began  it  all,  and 
from  the  moment  of  that  remark  the  ball  was  started 
and  kept  rolling,  while  we  looked  on  aghast  and  help- 
less at  the  extraordinary  and  unprecedented  turn 
of  events. 

It  had  to  do  with  the  arrival  in  Kashmir  of 
Wheeler,  who,  to  our  great  delight,  had  sent  us 
word  of  his  approach  and  had  asked  us  to  meet  him 
in  a  certain  nullah  not  far  away  on  a  certain  day ; 
and  our  innocent  remark  to  the  shikaris  was  merely 
to  the  effect  that  he  was  coming.  To  be  perfectly 
truthful,  I  must,  however,  state,  that  in  our  an- 
nouncement to  the  shikaris  of  our  friend's  arrival, 
wishing  to  secure  their  particular  interest  in  the  cor- 
dial welcome  which  we,  after  our  long  separation, 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    159 

of  course  wished  to  give  him,  Perry  did  go  to  the 
extent  of  saying  that  he,  Wheeler,  was  a  "Bara 
Sahib,"  meaning  a  big  or  important  man.  Wishing 
still  further  to  impress  the  shikaris,  I  added,  "  Yes, 
indeed,  a  bara  Rajah  Sahib,"  and  Perry,  I  believe, 
warming  to  the  subject  and  making  a  gesture  signi- 
fying immeasurable  greatness,  continued,  "  Cer- 
tainly, a  bara,  bara,  Maharajah  Sahib." 

But  exactly  what  degree  of  greatness  this  volu- 
ble description  conveyed  to  the  shikaris,  I  cannot 
say,  nor,  as  I  have  once  before  remarked,  should  I 
care  to  submit  even  my  most  concise  and  carefully 
thought-out  efforts  in  Hindustanee  to  a  professor  of 
languages  for  analysis.  At  any  rate,  feeling  confi- 
dent that  the  men  were  duly  impressed  and  would 
now  take  as  much  interest  as  we  in  the  meeting 
which  was  to  occur  on  the  following  day,  we  retired 
to  our  tent  and  to  that  peaceful  slumber  which  only 
the  truly  innocent  can  enjoy. 

Imagine  our  utter  astonishment,  on  going  out  of 
the  tent  for  our  bath  on  the  following  morning,  to 
find  the  camp-ground  so  crowded  with  natives  that 
hardly  a  square  foot  of  space  remained  unoccupied 
between  the  tents  and  the  surrounding  woods.  They 
squatted  in  rows,  extending  up  the  hillside  and 
down  toward  the  river  below,  hundreds  and  hun- 
dreds of  them  it  seemed,  all  in  holiday  attire,  with 


i6o  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

yellow  flowers  woven  into  their  hair  and  hanging 
about  their  tunics,  and  all  silently  and  respectfully 
awaiting  our  appearance.  Perry  and  I  gazed  at  the 
array  in  dumb  astonishment,  and  the  Baltis  quietly 
gazed  back.  Even  then  I  do  not  think  we  realized 
what  were  to  be  the  far-reaching  results  of  our 
guileless  words  of  the  previous  evening ;  but  we  were 
not  left  long  in  doubt,  for  Kadera  and  Salia,  coming 
up  and  salaaming,  informed  us  that  these  few  un- 
worthy people  had  come  to  do  honor  to  the  Bara 
Maharajah  Sahib.  Indeed,  if  the  size  of  that  gath- 
ering was  a  criterion,  he  was  to  be  fitly  received. 

But  this  was  not  all.  If  the  over-night  transfor- 
mation of  our  quiet  and  unpopulated  camp-ground 
was  the  work  of  some  genius  of  the  Arabian  Nights, 
he  had  still  further  wonders  in  reserve ;  for  at  that 
moment  a  splendid  jet-black  stallion  appeared  at 
the  end  of  the  clearing,  upon  which  was  seated  a 
magnificent  personage  clad  in  long  flowing  robes  of 
white  linen,  with  red  slippers  and  flower- wreathed 
cap.  Was  this  perhaps  Aladdin,  or  the  good  genius 
himself,  who  had  appeared  in  guise  appropriate  to 
the  surrounding  scene  and  was  about  to  ring  up  the 
curtain  on  some  marvellous  entertainment?  The 
shikaris  soon  enlightened  us.  Helping  him  dismount 
and  leading  him  to  the  tent,  where  he  salaamed  be- 
fore us,  they  introduced  him  as  the  Rajah  of  Shigar, 


THE   BARA  MAHARAJAH    SAHIB   AND    HIS   STAFF 


THE   RAJAH    OF    SHIGAR   AND    HIS   SUITE 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    161 

who  was  to  accompany  us  to  the  Field  of  the  Cloth 
of  Gold,  to  join  us  in  doing  honor  to  the  Bara  Maha- 
rajah Sahib.  Indeed,  the  ball  was  now  thoroughly 
rolling,  and  as  the  possibilities  of  the  affair  dawned 
upon  us,  having  solemnly  welcomed  the  Rajah,  we 
took  refuge  in  the  tent  in  order  not  to  lose  caste  by 
a  public  exhibition  of  our  unseemly  but  irrepressible 
mirth.  Furthermore,  Perry  and  I  felt  that  the  oc- 
casion demanded  something  more  ceremonious  than 
the  dingy  old  gray-flannel  shirts  we  were  wearing ; 
so  drawing  forth  from  the  carefully-packed  corners 
of  our  boxes  two  precious  immaculate  white  starched 
collars,  —  our  only  two,  —  we  put  them  on.  We 
possessed  no  ties,  but  that  was  unimportant.  Then, 
fastening  boutonnieres  of  wild  roses  to  the  lapels  of 
our  puttoo  coats,  we  emerged  to  await  events. 

Camp  was  struck,  and  for  a  while  all  was  confu- 
sion in  the  process  of  getting  under  way.  Two  other 
splendid  chargers,  beautifully  decked  out  with  sil- 
ver and  gold  trappings,  now  appeared,  and  these 
the  Rajah  placed  at  our  disposal  for  the  ride  to  the 
Bara  Maharajah  Sahib's  camp-ground;  and  while 
the  ponies  were  being  packed,  we  took  our  position 
at  the  head  of  the  gathering,  the  Rajah  stationing 
himself  beside  us,  and  the  Baltis  quickly  falling  into 
line  in  the  rear  of  his  bodyguard.  Our  shikaris  and 
coolies  then  took  their  places,  the  brass  band,  which 


162  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  Rajah  had  brought  with  him,  struck  up  a  fright- 
ful native  march,  and  off  we  moved  down  the  valley, 
as  imposing  an  army  as  ever  went  out  to 'welcome 
a  foreign  monarch. 

If  the  cavalcade  had  been  effective  at  the  outset, 
it  was  infinitely  more  so  by  the  time  we  reached  the 
top  of  the  mountain  above  the  Bara  Maharajah 
Sahib's  camp  and  began  filing  slowly  downwards 
toward  the  plain.  For  from  every  village  through 
which  we  had  passed,  and  we  had  wended  our  way 
through  a  goodly  number  of  them,  the  Rajah  had 
ordered  the  inhabitants  into  line  behind  us,  so  that 
the  escort  had  swelled  to  monstrous  proportions,  and 
as  each  separate  village  had  contributed  its  brass 
band,  the  noise,  when  all  of  them  broke  at  the  same 
moment  into  discordant  keys,  was  positively  over- 
powering. 

Far  down  in  the  valley  a  small  blue  speck  stood 
beside  what  looked  like  a  couple  of  white  handker- 
chiefs and  levelled  a  pair  of  field-glasses  in  our  di- 
rection: it  was  the  Bara  Maharajah  Sahib  beside 
his  tents,  examining  in  consternation  and  incom- 
prehension the  formidable  array  on  the  mountain- 
side. Slowly  we  zigzagged  down  the  mountain-trail, 
like  a  monstrous  serpent,  with  the  bands  braying 
frightfully  and  the  Baltis  hurrying  forward  in  their 
eagerness  to  see  the  foreign  potentate ;  and  all  this 


<    £ 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    163 

time  the  Bara  Maharajah  Sahib  kept  his  glasses 
levelled  at  us,  in  total  ignorance  of  the  meaning  of 
this  extraordinary  spectacle.  We  could  see  him  more 
clearly  now.  He  wore  a  navy-blue  flannel  shirt,  with 
a  handkerchief  tied  about  his  neck,  a  slouch  hat, 
and  a  three-weeks*  beard  —  a  combination  thor- 
oughly appropriate  to  the  surroundings,  even  for  a 
Bara  Maharajah  Sahib. 

At  last  the  level  was  reached.  Perry  and  I  dis- 
mounted, deferentially  approached  the  camp-ground 
on  foot,  and  humbly  salaamed  before  the  royal  pre- 
sence, though  we  wanted  badly  enough  to  run  up 
and  wring  his  dear  old  hand  off.  Wheeler,  preserving 
an  ominous  silence,  replied  to  the  Rajah's  deep  and 
respectful  salute  with  what  was  probably  the  most 
frigid  and  soulless  bow  I  have  ever  witnessed.  We 
seated  the  Rajah  and  the  Bara  Maharajah  Sahib 
on  two  soap-boxes  facing  one  another,  summoned 
a  Hindustanee-Balti  interpreter,  and  prompted  our 
friend  to  make  remarks  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

The  conversation  was  somewhat  stilted,  the  only 
important  sentiment  expressed  being  that  the  Ra- 
jah was  pleased  to  see  his  distinguished  visitor  in 
his,  the  Rajah's,  country,  while  the  Bara  Maharajah 
Sahib  was  veiy  pleased  to  be  there,  Wheeler  punc- 
tuating his  remarks  with  surprisingly  irrelevant 
and  irreverent  asides,  in  which  the  words  "  height 


i64  SPORT  AND   TRAVEL 

of  idiocy"  and  "depraved  sense  of  humor"  seemed 
to  predominate. 

I  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  too  long  an  ac- 
count of  the  further  proceedings  attendant  upon 
this  historic  meeting,  contenting  myself  with  stating 
that,  the  Rajah  having  heaped  upon  his  guest  in- 
numerable gifts,  including  valuable  Kashmir  shawls, 
cups,  plates,  and  pipes  made  of  the  stone  of  the  coun- 
try, sheep,  chickens,  fruit,  nuts,  sweetmeats,  and 
countless  other  things,  and  Wheeler  having  searched 
his  tent  for  an  appropriate  return  present  (the  in- 
terpreter had  confidentially  informed  him  that  he, 
being  the  greater  potentate,  must  give  the  greater 
present),  and  having  turned  over  to  the  Rajah  every 
article,  of  no  matter  what  description,  which  could 
possibly  be  spared  from  his  outfit,  the  whole  multi- 
tude sat  down  to  feast ;  and  not  until  two  days  later 
did  the  ceremonies  connected  with  that  memorable 
conference  come  to  an  end. 

But  though  we  left  the  Bara  Maharajah  Sahib, 
whose  steps  were  turned  towards  the  ibex  grounds 
whence  we  had  just  come,  and  though  the  Rajah 
went  home  and  the  Baltis  returned  to  their  various 
villages,  the  matter  of  the  meeting  did  not  end  there. 
Its  results  were  farther-reaching  than  even  we  or 
the  shikaris  had  ever  expected.  For  during  his  en- 
tire six-months'  journey  through  Baltistan,  in  every 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    165 

town  through  which  he  passed,  our  friend's  fame 
had  gone  before  him ;  he  was  often  met  by  deputa- 
tions of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the  villages, 
and  in  spite  of  his  protests  was  escorted  in  state  to 
their  village-greens,  feasted,  feted,  and  covered  with 
gifts,  while  polo  games  and  dances  were  played  and 
performed  in  his  honor,  and  all  was  done  to  make 
his  way  smooth  and  agreeable. 

An  Englishman,  meeting  us  later,  asked  if  we 
had  heard  anything  about  a  foreign  prince  who 
was  travelling  in  Baltistan.  We  had  not.  Even  the 
Bara  Maharajah  Sahib  eventually  came  to  a  more 
charitable  view  of  the  matter ;  for,  though  his  mod- 
est nature  had  suffered  a  severe  shock,  the  material 
benefits  which  resulted  were  too  important  to  be 
left  out  of  consideration,  and  as  he  wrote  us  later, 
"  You  did  a  good  job  after  all." 

The  account  of  our  march  to  the  markhor  coun- 
try, and  our  subsequent  sport  there,  can  best  and 
most  briefly  be  told  by  summarizing  from  the  diary 
which  I  was  in  the  habit  of  scribbling  daily  and  send- 
ing home  every  few  weeks  when  we  came  within 
a  few  days'  running  distance  of  a  post-office,  and 
could  send  off  a  coolie  to  post  letters  and  bring  such 
mail  as  had  been  forwarded  according  to  our  instruc- 
tions. These  mail-days  were  red-letter  ones  in  camp, 
and  very  strange  it  was  to  read  of  events  which  had 


166  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

happened  months  before  in  a  world  as  far  apart  and 
as  different  from  ours  as  two  worlds  well  could  be. 

A  long,  hot,  dusty  tramp  from  Wheeler's  camp- 
ground brought  us  to  Skardu,  a  large  town  com- 
posed of  several  villages  lying  amidst  a  broad  ex- 
panse of  wheat-fields  and  orchards,  where  we  found 
three  other  sportsmen  camped,  two  of  them  sick 
and  unable  to  push  on.  A  day  was  spent  here  pre- 
paring our  twelve  ibex-heads,  which  were  then  sent 
off  to  Srinagar  on  the  backs  of  four  coolies,  to  be 
cleaned  and  salted  pending  our  return ;  and  on  the 
following  morning  a  start  was  made  down  the  Indus 
toward  the  Haramosh  country.  We  crossed  to  the 
right  bank  on  a  flimsy  raft  buoyed  up  by  inflated 
sheepskins,  as  the  left  bank  was  said  to  be  bad  going. 

I  should  not  have  cared  to  try  the  left  bank  if  it 
was  worse  than  the  right.  Our  trail  was  never  on  a 
level.  Frequently  it  rose  two  thousand  feet  straight 
up  and  then  dropped  immediately  again  to  the  In- 
dus, which,  after  leaving  the  plain  of  Skardu,  rushes 
wildly  through  a  narrow  gorge  all  the  way  to  Ha- 
ramosh. One  march  of  eight  miles  occupied  five 
hours.  Often  the  road  dwindled  to  a  ledge  a  few 
inches  broad  around  some  precipice,  being  pieced 
out  by  wooden  ladders  to  make  progress  possible 
for  the  coolies  with  their  heavy  loads.  The  weather 
had  changed  greatly  since  a  month  before,  and  the 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    167 

apricots  and  delicious  mulberries  were  ripe  in  the 
villages  through  which  we  passed.  It  was  a  great 
pleasure  after  coming  down  from  the  Basha  Nullah 
to  discard  our  fur  sleeping-bags  at  night  and  to 
tramp  coatless  in  the  daytime.  Yet  the  work  was 
long  and  tedious,  up  and  down  fatiguing  ascents  and 
descents  through  the  most  barren  sort  of  country, 
except  where  the  villages  afforded  rest,  shade,  and 
delicious  fruit  and  water  for  parched  mouths.  Sel- 
dom more  than  one  stage  a  day  was  accomplished, 
which  meant  but  from  eight  to  twelve  miles,  and 
glad  enough  we  were  to  come  to  the  end  of  them. 

At  Rondu  we  had  tiffin  under  a  wide-spreading 
chenar  tree  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  curiously 
watched  as  usual  by  the  women  and  children  of  the 
town  from  their  housetops,  and  then  proceeded  to 
a  beautiful  camp-ground  in  a  little  village  called 
Harpu,  where  we  were  entertained,  as  often,  by 
native  music  and  dancing.  We  passed  Tulu,  Hilbu, 
and  Subsar,  and  on  the  26th  of  June,  at  a  place 
called  Bulchu,  feeling  ill,  I  decided  to  take  a  day 
of  rest.  Perry  I  asked  to  continue  to  his  markhor 
nullah,  for  we  were  to  shoot  separately  and  I  did 
not  know  how  long  my  indisposition,  due  to  indi- 
gestion brought  on  by  fatigue,  might  delay  him. 

The  28th  was  a  long  day  of  descent  from  the  high 
land  on  which  we  had  been,  almost  to  the  Indus, 


168  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

my  camp  being  pitched  in  a  wooded  ravine  away 
from  any  village;  and  on  the  29th  we  ascended 
to  Balochi,  again  half-way  up  the  mountain-side, 
where  another  day  of  rest  was  imperative,  though 
any  delay,  with  the  prospect  of  good  shooting  ahead, 
was  annoying  and  irksome.  There  were  only  three 
hens  in  this  town,  but  I  managed  to  collect  two 
dozen  eggs  in  fairly  good  condition,  which  evidently 
had  been  stored  up  as  they  had  been  laid,  and  with 
a  sheep  for  mutton  and  a  cow-yak  to  supply  us 
with  milk,  we  proceeded  on  the  1st  of  July  to  my 
markhor  shooting-ground  in  the  Mishkin  Nullah, 
descending  to  my  camp-ground  in  a  snowstorm  so 
thick  that,  until  we  reached  the  clearing  chosen  by 
Kadera,  one  could  see  barely  a  rod  in  any  direction. 
It  cleared  away  as  suddenly  as  it  had  come,  dis- 
closing such  a  view  as  seldom  falls  to  the  lot  of  man 
to  behold.  The  tent  was  pitched  in  a  field  of  pur- 
ple and  white  flowers,  from  which  on  three  sides 
the  confines  of  the  nullah  rose  abruptly,  but  whose 
fourth  side  opened  out  to  the  mouth  of  the  valley, 
where  a  range  of  superb  snow-mountains  rose  in  the 
distance  —  the  Haramosh  range,  24,285  feet  high. 
Sitting  with  my  pipe  by  the  camp-fire  that  evening, 
with  the  ten  days*  work  behind,  and  watching  the 
afterglow  on  those  magnificent  peaks  and  the  shad- 
ows creeping  up  in  the  valley  below,  I  experienced 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING     169 

a  sense  of  enjoyment  which  only  those  who  have 
had  Nature  to  themselves,  unmarred  by  the  disfig- 
urement of  railroads  and  summer  hotels,  can  truly 
appreciate. 

At  dawn  on  the  2d  we  were  scouring  the  sides  of 
the  nullah  for  markhor,  and  at  eight  o'clock  a  fine 
big  animal  was,  by  the  aid  of  the  telescope,  found 
across  a  small  wooded  cleft,  lying  on  top  of  a  big 
boulder,  quietly  chewing  his  cud,  his  magnificent 
horns  curving  in  spirals  over  his  back.  A  markhor, 
like  an  ibex,  is  a  species  of  goat,  generally  of  a  light 
grayish  color,  with  a  long  black  beard  and  horns 
curving  outwards  in  spirals,  usually  in  two  and  a 
half  twists.  He  is  a  larger  animal  than  the  ibex, 
much  scarcer,  and  considered  a  far  finer  trophy. 
The  law  allows  but  two  to  each  sportsman. 

We  stalked  at  once,  which  was  not  difficult,  as 
the  hillside  was  thickly  wooded  with  beech  and 
birch  growth,  which  concealed  our  movements, 
and  thus  it  was  only  a  question  of  moving  silently. 
Reaching  a  ridge  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
above  the  animal,  which  had  descended  from  its 
rock  and  was  grazing  in  the  bushes,  I  soon  caught 
sight  of  its  horns  in  the  thicket,  and  fired  where  the 
body  appeared  to  be.  There  had  been  some  ques- 
tion in  my  mind  as  to  whether  to  use  the  30-40  Win- 
chester or  the  cordite-powder  express,  but  as  I  had 


170  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

done  more  accurate  shooting  with  the  smaller  gun 
and  had  more  confidence  in  its  trajectory,  it  had 
seemed  to  me  best  to  use  the  former.  I  was  sorry 
afterwards,  for  though  the  first  shot  hit  the  animal, 
he  was  off  at  once,  whereas  the  express  would  doubt- 
less have  dropped  him  immediately.  However,  it 
was  not  long  before  his  body  was  found,  stone  dead, 
on  a  ledge  to  which  descent  was  made  with  great 
difficulty,  and  his  superb  head,  scalp,  and  skin  were 
brought  back  to  camp  in  good  condition. 

The  next  two  days  were  spent  in  cleaning  the  skin 
and  head,  and  in  continually  searching  the  surround- 
ing country  with  the  glasses  for  further  signs  of 
game.  It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  that  the 
telescope  revealed  a  fine  big  markhor  perched  high 
on  a  rock,  not  far  from  where  the  first  had  been 
shot,  his  horns  standing  out  clearly  against  the 
sky-line.  I  hurriedly  dressed,  said  good-by  to  Perry, 
who  had  come  over  from  his  neighboring  nullah  for 
a  visit,  and  was  soon  at  the  top  of  the  ridge.  The 
markhor,  two  in  number,  had  meanwhile  crossed 
the  next  nullah  and  were  feeding  half-way  up  its 
opposite  side.  We  slipped  down  among  the  woods 
until  nearly  opposite  them,  but  they  were  then  upon 
the  point  of  disappearing  and  it  was  necessary  to 
take  a  very  long  shot,  so  long  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  see  their  horns  to  decide  which  was  the 


A    "ROAD"    IN    BALTISTAN 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING     171 

bigger  head ;  but  markhor  were  none  so  plentiful 
that  one  could  afford  to  let  a  chance  go  by  on  this 
account,  and  I  fired.  The  Winchester,  which  I  had 
used  on  account  of  the  distance,  planted  a  shot 
within  two  feet  of  the  foremost  animal  and  he  was 
at  once  out  of  sight  around  a  ledge.  The  second 
markhor,  at  the  report,  followed  the  other,  but  was 
just  far  enough  behind  to  enable  me  to  load  and  fire 
again  before  he  disappeared.  I  should  not  have  had 
another  chance.  That  was  the  most  satisfactory 
shot  the  little  rifle  has  ever  fired,  for  it  hit  the  mark- 
hor square  in  spite  of  the  distance.  But  those  goats 
seem  to  be  able  to  get  away  with  any  amount  of  lead, 
and  though  on  coming  up  I  found  plenty  of  blood, 
the  animal  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  However,  his 
blood-trail  made  tracking  a  comparatively  simple 
matter,  and  before  long  he  was  found  stone  dead  in 
an  almost  inaccessible  place  on  a  cliff,  where  ropes 
had  to  be  used,  and  his  body  was  recovered  with 
great  difficulty. 

Thus  my  ibex  and  markhor  bags  were  filled,  the 
heads  of  the  latter  both  measuring  approximately 
forty-three  inches,  a  good  average  size ;  they  were 
quite  different  in  shape,  one  set  of  horns  extending 
spirally  upwards,  and  the  other  almost  horizontally 
out  before  the  upward  curve.  The  scalps  were  al- 
most white,  with  splendid  black  beards;  the  skins 


172  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

cream-color.  Perry,  I  learned  by  a  letter  which  he 
sent  me  by  a  coolie-runner,  had  already  secured  his 
first  head. 

We  were  now  obliged  to  remain  for  some  days 
doing  nothing,  as  Kadera,  not  believing  that  I  should 
get  my  two  markhor  in  such  a  short  time,  had  sent 
the  pack-coolies  back  to  their  village,  Hilbu,  and 
they  had  to  be  sent  for,  with  a  delay  of  three  days. 
But  I  enjoyed  this  rest,  for  my  camp,  as  I  have  said 
before,  was  in  a  beautiful  spot  looking  out  towards 
the  Haramosh  range,  whose  grand  snow-peaks  took 
on  the  most  superb  colors  in  the  setting  sun  and  af- 
terwards by  moonlight,  so  that  the  evenings  spent 
there  beside  the  camp-fire  quite  made  up  for  any 
ennui  during  the  day.  Besides,  I  had  fortunately 
brought  a  few  good  books  along,  and  was  able  to 
employ  my  time  to  advantage,  reading  being  quite 
impossible  when  on  the  march  or  hunting,  owing  to 
one's  excessive  fatigue  at  the  end  of  the  day. 

It  was  furthermore  exceedingly  amusing  to  me  to 
watch  the  shikaris  and  their  ways,  their  character 
being  a  study  of  continual  interest.  They  are,  of 
course,  thieves  first,  last,  and  all  the  time,  looking 
upon  the  sportsman  as  a  moneyed  sponge  to  be 
squeezed  as  dry  as  their  ingenuity  can  manage. 
Fortunately  for  me,  I  had  Thomas  as  a  counteract- 
ing element:  he  hated  them  and  they  him,  and  it 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    173 

was  his  delight  to  guard  my  interests  against  their 
dishonesty ;  so  I  let  him  hold  the  bank  and  pay  for 
all  supplies,  for  which  he  gave  me  regularly  a  neat 
account,  and  I  knew  that  I  was  paying  minimum 
prices. 

The  Kashmiri  is,  moreover,  utterly  childish  in  his 
jealously.  Our  respective  staffs  split  up  into  two 
separate  groups,  ate  separately,  and  were  scarcely 
on  speaking  terms ;  and  several  times  Kadera  came 
to  me  and  accused  Salia,  Perry's  shikari,  of  stealing, 
though  with  no  evidence  to  back  up  his  assertions. 
Whenever  Kadera  showed  me  game,  his  first  remark 
was  always  as  to  how  much  better  he  had  done  it 
than  could  Salia ;  and  when  Perry  and  I  met  after 
our  ibex  and  bear  shooting,  it  was  ludicrous  to  see 
how  Kadera  refused  to  look  at  Perry's  big  bearskin, 
while  Salia  visibly  turned  up  his  nose  and  sauntered 
away  when  my  44-inch  ibex-head  was  displayed. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  while  amusing  us,  this  jealousy 
was  an  excellent  thing,  for  it  made  the  competition 
between  our  respective  staffs  exceedingly  keen. 

In  his  emotion  the  Kashmiri  further  shows  his 
childish  character.  One  day,  when  I  was  down  with 
a  touch  of  fever  and  for  a  short  time  uncomfortably 
ill,  Kadera,  who  was  squatting  in  my  tent,  suddenly 
burst  into  tears  and  sobbed  disgracefully,  while  the 
tears  poured  down  his  face ;  and  the  scene  was  ended 


174  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

only  by  my  ordering  him  back  to  his  quarters.  On 
the  whole,  I  believe,  that  in  spite  of  their  dishon- 
esty and  petty  meanness,  they  have  a  certain  amount 
of  affection  for  their  huzurs  (highnesses),  as  they 
call  us,  and  certainly  much  pride  in  our  respective 
shooting  accuracy  and  trophies ;  and  I  am  sure  they 
do  their  best  for  us  if  only  for  their  own  credit.  One 
day  when  we  were  practising  at  a  small  target  at 
two  hundred  yards'  range,  and  Perry  was  peppering 
all  around  it,  I  took  a  single  shot  with  the  30-40 
Winchester,  putting  the  bullet  squarely  in  the  bull's 
eye,  quite  by  luck  at  so  long  a  range,  and  then,  not 
wishing  to  jeopardize  at  once  my  suddenly  acquired 
reputation,  sauntered  away  as  if  nothing  unusual 
had  occurred.  You  should  have  seen  Kadera.  His 
chest-measurement  visibly  increased,  and  he  walked 
on  air  for  a  week,  not  deigning  to  look  at  Salia  or 
any  other  members  of  Perry's  party. 

Kadera,  by  the  way,  is  one  of  those  whose  fea- 
tures will  not  bear  too  close  a  scrutiny,  lest  they  tell 
of  advancing  years,  and  such  a  disclosure  would  be 
of  great  harm  to  him  in  his  profession.  His  face  is 
deeply  lined,  and  he  has  no  teeth  left,  which  renders 
his  enunciation  difficult  to  grasp;  and  on  steep 
ascents  after  game  he  is  soon  left  painfully  gasping 
in  the  rear ;  but  as  his  head  is  always  carefully  tur- 
baned,  and  as  his  beard  is  stained  a  beautiful  bright 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    175 

vermilion,  no  sign  of  a  white  hair  gives  away  his 
carefully  guarded  secret.  One  day,  alas !  however, 
a  slight  mishap  to  the  worthy  Kadera  confirmed 
all  my  suspicions.  We  were  scrambling  up  a  steep 
mountain-side  after  game,  when  suddenly  his  foot- 
ing gave  way :  he  slipped,  rolled  a  few  feet  toward 
the  precipice  below,  and  came  firmly  and  suddenly 
to  rest  in  the  branches  of  an  intervening  bush.  Quick 
as  a  flash  his  hand  went  up  to  his  turban,  but  alas ! 
it  had  jerked  off  in  his  rapid  descent  and  lay  several 
yards  up  the  slope.  One  glance  at  his  bare  head, 
white  as  the  snow  of  the  peak  above  us,  doubly  ir- 
idescent in  its  contrast  to  the  vermilion  of  his  huge 
beard,  was  sufficient.  I  quickly  looked  the  other 
way  and  allowed  the  old  man  to  recover  his  turban 
with  what  equanimity  he  could,  after  the  double 
shock  to  his  limbs  and  his  feelings. 

Sidka,  my  chota,  or  assistant  shikari,  on  the  con- 
trary, was  young,  keen  as  a  greyhound,  athletic  as 
a  young  Greek.  As  this  was  his  apprenticeship  in 
the  shikari  business,  he  well  knew  what  a  good  re- 
commendation at  the  end  of  the  trip  would  mean. 
Besides  taking  excellent  care  of  my  clothes  in  camp, 
washing  and  mending  them,  making  my  bed  at 
night,  and  keeping  the  tent  in  order,  he  was  invalu- 
able on  the  march  and  in  stalking,  his  duty  being 
to  carry  my  extra  gun  and  keep  always  at  my  heels. 


176  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

He  was,  too,  the  only  member  of  the  outfit  who  had 
not  been  ill  at  one  time  or  another:  Kadera  had 
suffered  from  severe  boils,  Salia  from  rheumatism, 
Thomas  from  colds,  the  coolies  from  fever;  but 
Sidka  seemed  always  well,  always  keen  and  always 
cheery,  a  characteristic  of  which  only  those  who 
have  camped  in  the  wilds  know  the  true  value. 
.  The  coolies  finally  arrived,  and  we  started  on  once 
more,  headed  now  for  the  sharpu  or  urial  country, 
of  which  I  was  anxious  to  secure  one  or  two  speci- 
mens before  proceeding  to  the  black  bear  country 
in  the  Valley  of  Kashmir  itself.  I  had  not  supposed 
that  the  climbing  could  become  much  worse  than  it 
had  been  before,  but  in  this  I  was  mistaken.  The 
trail  ran  along  the  faces  of  cliffs,  so  narrow  in  some 
places  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  stick  on,  some- 
times down  in  the  bottom  of  a  ravine,  then  up  again 
to  the  crest  of  a  mountain,  whence  the  great  ranges 
of  half  Baltistan  stretched  out  before  us,  and  whence 
we  could  look  over  even  into  Tibet.  One  gets  ac- 
customed to  dizzy  places,  as  to  all  things,  with  prac- 
tice, but  when  one  is  clinging  to  the  perpendicular 
face  of  a  precipice,  practically  with  one's  teeth  and 
nails,  trying  to  find  where  to  move  next,  while  out  of 
the  corner  of  his  eye  he  sees  beneath  him  a  straight 
drop  of  some  two  thousand  feet,  and  at  the  same 
time  is  morally  certain  that  the  three-inch  ledge  to 


SHAR 
Kadera,  Sidk 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    177 

which  he  clings  is  giving  way,  the  sensation  is  — 
unusual. 

The  night  after  leaving  the  Mishkin  Nullah  I  for- 
tunately met  Wheeler,  who,  having  finished  his 
ibex-shooting,  was  bound  for  the  markhor  country. 
It  was  indeed  a  lucky  coincidence  that  I  should  have 
run  across  him  on  that  particular  night,  for  my 
coolies  had  been  unable  to  cross  a  certain  stream 
which  I  had  forded  with  great  difficulty  up  to  my 
waist  in  water,  and  which  later  had  become  swollen 
by  the  melting  snows  of  midday,  and  as  I  was  con- 
siderably in  advance  of  them,  and  as  there  was  no 
means  of  refording  the  same  stream,  I  should,  had  I 
not  met  Wheeler,  have  been  obliged  to  spend  the 
night  on  the  opposite  bank,  within  speaking  dis- 
tance of  my  outfit,  but  without  food,  shelter,  or  dry 
clothes.  This  proved  to  be  my  last  meeting  with 
Wheeler,  nor  did  I  see  him  again  until  two  years 
later,  when  in  prosaic  surroundings  we  told  one  an- 
other of  our  subsequent  wanderings  and  reminisced 
a  trifle  sadly  on  our  shooting-days.  He  filled  his  bag 
in  Kashmir  and  had  some  good  shooting  on  the 
Indian  plains  before  returning  home. 

The  day  after  leaving  Wheeler  we  marched  to 
Balochi,  where  I  had  previously  been  ill,  and  on  the 
following  morning  left  the  Indus  trail  and  struck  in 
a  long  distance,  toward  the  mountain-pass  which 


178  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

leads  over  into  the  Astore  district,  camping  the  sec- 
ond night  in  a  deep  ravine  with  rose-bushes  in  full 
blossom  around  the  tent,  a  mountain-stream  rush- 
ing past,  and  the  great  cliffs  towering  straight  above, 
thousands  of  feet  in  height,  from  the  top  of  which  a 
waterfall  shot  into  the  gorge  below  with  a  stupen- 
dous roar.  My  larder,  alas !  was  by  this  time  in  a 
sadly  depleted  state,  the  supply  of  coffee,  oatmeal, 
vegetables,  baking-powder,  jam,  and  sugar  having 
become  exhausted.  There  were  no  chickens  in  these 
villages,  and  consequently  no  eggs;  no  yaks,  and 
therefore  no  milk  except  goat's  milk,  which  I  abom- 
inated. My  only  hope  of  deliverance  from  compara- 
tive starvation  lay  in  the  fact  that  I  had  foreseen 
this  unfortunate  dearth  of  supplies  and  sent  a  coolie- 
runner  to  Srinagar  for  more.  Sheep,  however,  were 
always  procurable,  and  at  the  modest  price  of  two 
rupees  (sixty-seven  cents)  per  head.  Consequently 
my  daily  menu  was  approximately  as  follows :  — 

Breakfast:  Flour  porridge,  potatoes,  mutton. 

Tiffin:          Potatoes,  mutton. 

Dinner:       Mutton  broth,  potatoes,  mutton. 

This  diet,  as  can  be  imagined,  though  healthful, 
was  hardly  satisfactory ;  and  though  its  monotony 
was  occasionally  relieved  by  my  shooting  a  pigeon, 
I  often  felt  that  I  should  like  to  see  potatoes  and 
mutton,  like  the  Hunter  of  the  Snark,  "softly  and 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    179 

suddenly  vanish  away/'  giving  place,  if  necessary, 
to  pate  de  foie  gras,  wedding-cake  and  Welsh  rab- 
bit. The  many  happy  hours  Perry  and  I  have  spent, 
on  our  long,  thirsty  marches,  carefully  planning 
out  the  menus  for  prospective  feasts  on  our  return 
to  civilization,  come  back  to  me  with  extraordinary 
distinctness. 

The  1 3th  I  spent  in  camp  on  account  of  a  severe 
rain,  but  started  on  in  the  afternoon  and  accom- 
plished some  six  miles  up  toward  the  pass.  On  the 
1 4th  we  crossed  the  pass  itself,  up  a  long  snow- 
field,  and  then  down  into  the  Ditchil  Nullah,  all  in  a 
snowstorm,  which  later  turned  to  rain ;  and  a  very 
unpleasant  two  hours  I  spent  on  reaching  my  camp- 
ground, waiting  for  the  coolies  to  arrive  with  the 
tent  and  dry  clothes.  The  I5th  we  marched  some 
eight  miles  down  the  Ditchil  Nullah,  which  leads  to 
the  Astore  Valley,  where  I  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  many  different  kinds  of  wild  flowers  which 
dotted  the  fields  with  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow. 
The  scenery  had  changed  suddenly  from  wild  bare 
mountains  and  snow  to  a  beautiful  valley,  with 
woods,  fields  and  a  mountain-stream,  —  a  most 
pleasant  relief  from  our  previous  surroundings.  The 
1 6th  was  an  especially  hard  day,  for  besides  a  long, 
difficult,  and  fatiguing  march  over  the  mountain 
from  Ditchil  down  to  the  Astore  River,  I  went  on 


i8o  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

two  separate  sharpu  stalks,  in  a  pouring  rain  all 
day,  and  did  not  reach  a  suitable  camp-ground  till 
dark,  pretty  well  exhausted. 

We  came  on  a  herd  of  sharpu  half-way  down  the 
mountain,  and  if  my  chota  shikari  had  been  at  my 
heels,  as  he  always  should  be,  with  the  guns,  I  should 
have  had  a  good  two  hundred  yards  shot  at  a  big 
head.  But  by  an  unlucky  chance  he  happened  for 
once  to  be  lagging  behind,  and  by  the  time  he  came 
up,  the  herd  had  got  well  out  of  range.  We  stalked 
them  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  again,  over  some 
nasty  cliffs,  till  a  precipice  stopped  us  just  out  of 
range,  and  we  were  obliged  to  leave  them  watching 
us  at  a  safe  distance.  Descending  a  short  distance, 
and  then  seeing  two  more  sharpu  on  the  top  of  the 
spur,  we  climbed  again,  but  in  vain.  All  this  work 
had  occupied  three  hours ;  and  at  four  o'clock,  hav- 
ing had  nothing  to  eat  since  seven  in  the  morning, 
I  was  quite  able  to  appreciate  my  tiffin  of  a  cold 
sausage  and  some  cold  tea,  eaten  in  the  pouring  rain. 

Sharpu,  by  the  way,  are  quite  red,  small,  and  ap- 
pear to  be  all  legs,  judging  from  the  way  they  get 
over  the  ground.  They  are  a  species  of  sheep,  with 
the  usual  curved  horns. 

At  dark,  it  being  impracticable  to  pitch  the  tents 
in  the  wet,  I  took  refuge  in  a  cattle-shed,  where  the 
account  of  the  day  was  written  by  the  feeble  light 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    181 

of  a  flickering  candle ;  and  as  it  was  there  that  the 
night  was  spent,  it  bears  description.  The  walls  were 
of  rough  stones,  about  five  feet  high,  so  that  one 
could  not  stand  upright.  The  roof  was  of  logs  and 
thatch,  through  which  in  places  the  rain  dripped 
merrily.  There  was  no  window,  chimney,  or  even  a 
hole  through  which  the  smoke  could  escape,  except 
the  door,  which  was  about  three  feet  high.  Conse- 
quently, after  suffocating  for  an  hour  by  a  fire  in 
order  to  attempt  getting  dry,  a  manifest  impossi- 
bility, I  had  to  order  the  fire  removed,  and  the  smoke 
then  slightly  abated.  The  floor  was  of  earth,  hay, 
and  manure.  I  finished  dinner,  which  the  faithful 
Thomas,  never  too  tired  to  cook,  had  prepared  in 
an  adjoining  shed,  and  having  waited  till  my  candle 
had  flickered  its  last,  fell  asleep  to  the  soothing  pat- 
ter and  splash  of  the  rain  without  and  within. 

The  next  day  we  reached  Astore,  a  fairly  large 
town,  containing  a  fort  high  up  on  a  bluff  overlook- 
ing the  Astore  River,  thickly  grown  with  tall,  slen- 
der poplar  trees.  Here  for  the  first  time  in  two 
months  I  slept  in  a  comfortable  dak  bungalow  and 
very  glad  I  was  to  have  an  opportunity  to  dry  out 
my  kit,  which  with  the  rains  of  the  previous  days 
had  become  thoroughly  soaked. 

I  had  an  amusing  call  on  the  tehsildar  in  this 
place,  the  tehsil  being  a  division  of  the  state  and  the 


1 82  SPORT  AND   TRAVEL 

tehsildar  its  head  official.  We  had  sent  to  the  bank 
in  Srinagar,  where  we  had  left  a  deposit,  for  five  hun- 
dred rupees,  and  they  came  to  Astore  in  notes  torn 
in  halves,  the  first  set  of  halves  in  one  packet  and 
the  other  set  in  a  second,  to  prevent  theft.  It  was 
in  order  to  have  these  notes  changed  into  smaller 
silver,  for  use  in  paying  the  coolies,  that  I  went  to 
the  tehsildar.  He  was  sitting  at  his  desk  in  a  dingy, 
ill-lighted  little  office,  such  as  are  all  the  official 
dwellings  in  that  part  of  the  world,  —  a  fat,  pom- 
pous-looking heathen,  with  a  decidedly  disagreeable 
face.  He  was  barely  civil  to  me,  but  I  took  a  chair, 
explained  to  him  in  Hindustanee  my  errand,  and 
told  him  that  I  was  an  American.  His  face  bright- 
ened at  once,  and  from  that  moment  he  could  not 
.do  enough  for  me,  asked  if  I  would  not  have  a  ci- 
garette,—  which  proved  to  be  a  six-inch  jet-black 
cigar  of  titanic  strength,  —  insisted  on  giving  me 
a  glass  of  "  wine,"  —  poor  rum  on  nearer  acquaint- 
ance, —  and  set  before  me  native  cakes,  almonds, 
raisins,  and  various  other  sweetmeats,  the  acme  of 
native  hospitality. 

That  evening,  by  a  happy  coincidence,  Perry  ar- 
rived, en  route  to  his  sharpu  nullah,  and  we  enjoyed 
a  pleasant  evening  together,  seated  in  chairs,  eating 
from  a  table,  and  looking  out  of  a  window,  for  the 
first  time  since  leaving  Srinagar  in  April.  He  had 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING     183 

secured  a  forty-eight  and  one  half  inch  markhor- 
head  and  was  quite  naturally  in  high  spirits.  The 
next  morning  we  started  for  our  respective  shooting 
grounds. 

The  road  from  Astore  to  Srinagar  can  fairly  be 
called  a  "road."  It  is  well  built  for  military  pur- 
poses, for  it  leads  to  Gilgit,  where  is  stationed  the 
British  garrison  near  the  frontier,  and  very  differ- 
ent it  is  from  the  previous  trails  over  which  we  had 
come,  which  were  called  "  roads,"  I  feel  sure,  out  of 
sarcasm.  This  one  is  actually  six  feet  broad  in 
places  and  smooth  as  a  bicycle  path.  Accordingly 
the  pack-coolies,  excepting  the  five  naukar,  or  ser- 
vant-coolies, who  were  permanent,  were  now  dis- 
pensed with,  paid  off,  and  sent  back  to  their  villages, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  the  trip,  except  for  the  first 
day's  march,  the  outfit  was  carried  by  seven  pack- 
ponies.  I  allowed  Thomas  a  pony  on  account  of  his 
age,  and  Kadera  had  ordered  his  own,  but  person- 
ally, being  in  splendid  condition,  I  walked.  The 
distance  from  Astore  to  Bandipur,  whence  one  takes 
the  canal-boat  to  Srinagar,  is  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles,  two  high  mountain-passes  inter- 
vening before  one  reaches  the  Kashmir  Valley. 

We  camped  on  the  iyth  some  eight  miles  above 
Astore,  at  what  my  shikari  asserted  was  the  mouth 
of  the  nullah  which,  according  to  my  arrangement 


1 84  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

with  Perry,  I  was  to  occupy.  Either  Perry's  shikari 
did  not  understand  this  arrangement,  or  wilfully 
cheated  us,  for  during  the  night  he  took  Perry,  un- 
known to  us,  past  us  and  some  four  miles  up  into  my 
nullah.  I  believe  the  trick  was  intentional  on  Salia's 
part,  for  both  shikaris  had  recently  heard  of  three 
red  bear  having  been  seen  in  this  particular  nullah 
and  were  eager  to  have  us  bag  them.  As  Perry  had 
already  shot  three  red  bear,  he  had  been  quite  willing 
to  let  me  take  this  nullah,  for  I  had  as  yet  not  seen 
one ;  but  as  he  was  unaware  of  the  lay  of  the  land, 
he  had  no  idea  at  the  time  that  Salia  was  cheating 
us,  and  was  very  angry  afterwards.  At  any  rate,  on 
awaking  in  the  morning  and  seeing  the  other  camp 
far  up  the  nullah,  it  seemed  better  not  to  waste  time 
in  controversy,  so  I  moved  on  up  the  Astore  Valley. 
Kadera  threatened  to  kill  Salia  on  sight,  but  as  we 
did  not  meet  again  until  our  return  to  civilization, 
bloodshed  was  fortunately  avoided. 

We  were  up  at  four  on  the  i8th,  and  hunted  all 
day  among  the  mountain-tops,  seeing  plenty  of 
bear-tracks,  but  only  some  female  sharpu,  and  did 
not  return  to  camp  till  dark.  But  that  was  a  day 
which  I  shall  never  forget,  for  I  saw  for  the  first 
time  what  is  said  to  be  the  grandest  snow-mountain 
in  the  world  —  Nunga  Parbat  or  Diyamir,  26,629 
feet  high.  Dr.  Neve,  in  his  book  on  Kashmir,  says 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING     185 

of  it:  "  Nanga  Parbat  is  the  culminating  point  of 
the  Kashmir  ranges  and  is  in  many  respects  the 
grandest  mountain  in  the  world.  As  none  of  the 
mountains  around  it  exceed  17,000  feet,  it  is  seen 
unobstructedly  from  all  sides.  .  .  .  From  the  usual 
passes  into  Astore,  16,000  feet  vertical  is  seen.  It  is 
seen  from  the  Murree  hills  over  one  hundred  miles 
away.  The  outline  and  grouping  of  this  mass,  rising 
glistening  white,  with  pinnacle  of  ice  and  dome  of 
snow,  above  the  dark  lower  ranges,  just  as  some 
huge  marble  cathedral  rises  above  all  meaner  build- 
ings, is  a  sight  never  to  be  forgotten." 

Indeed  I  can  vouch  for  this.  We  came  on  it  sud- 
denly around  the  shoulder  of  a  mountain,  and  as  I 
saw  its  top,  towering  above  the  clouds  which  ob- 
scured the  rest  of  it,  I  believed  at  first  that  there  was 
some  optical  illusion,  so  straight  upwards  did  one 
have  to  look  to  see  the  peak.  The  white  clouds  hung 
about  it  all  day,  but  at  evening  they  cleared,  reveal- 
ing it  entire.  Beside  it,  the  Matterhorn  would  re- 
semble a  pigmy.  Our  camp  that  night  was  almost  at 
its  base,  and  I  breakfasted  before  daylight  on  the 
I9th  with  the  moonlight  showing  the  mountain  to 
its  best  advantage,  incomprehensible  in  its  magni- 
tude and  splendor. 

That  day  I  had  a  stalk  to  delight  the  soul.  We 
left  camp  before  sunrise  and  soon  sighted  a  herd  of 


186  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

sharpu  on  the  very  top  of  the  mountain-spur.  Two 
solid  hours  of  work  ensued  before  we  were  within 
range.  Then,  slipping  down  behind  a  tree,  I  had 
plenty  of  time,  unobserved,  to  pick  out  my  animal 
with  the  glasses.  The  best  among  them  was  small, 
but  I  was  quite  willing  to  take  a  small  head,  by 
which  to  remember  such  a  splendid  stalk,  and  I 
killed  him  with  one  shot.  The  more  I  used  the 
30-40,  the  more  confidence  I  had  in  its  perfect 
accuracy ;  it  is  good  to  have  such  a  gun,  for  with  it 
one  has  no  nervousness  before  firing,  a  thing  fatal  to 
good  shooting. 

The  noon  hours  were  spent  in  a  spot  on  the 
mountain-top  overlooking  the  valleys  of  three  differ- 
ent rivers,  Nunga  Parbat  rising  to  the  right  in  all 
its  majesty,  surrounded  by  a  complete  panorama  of 
snow-peaks ;  the  valleys  spread  out  very  far  below, 
dotted  with  little  villages,  patches  of  woods  along 
the  river-banks,  and  pasture  land,  just  as  in  the 
Alps  —  but  how  much  grander  the  scene !  That 
night  my  camp,  which  had  been  moved  by  the 
coolies,  was  beside  one  of  these  villages,  Chugam  by 
name,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  if,  instead  of  the 
group  of  dirty  little  log  huts,  a  fine  mansion  stood  in 
the  midst  of  those  smooth  lawns,  wide-spreading 
walnut  trees,  and  rose-bushes,  what  a  perfect  coun- 
try estate  it  would  have  made.  The  natives,  the 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    187 

Dards,  go  about  with  the  most  beautiful  white,  yel- 
low, and  red  roses  stuck  in  their  soiled  caps,  - 
flowers  which  at  home  would  cost  a  pretty  penny,  — 
and  often  one  of  them  would  come  to  my  tent  with  a 
big  bunch  of  them,  for  which  I  would  throw  him  the 
outrageously  high  baksheesh  of  two  annas  (four 
cents) ,  there  being  no  smaller  coin  in  my  money-bag. 
I  was  called  at  daylight  on  the  2Oth,  to  find  a  dis- 
mal rain  without,  and  the  shikaris  protesting  that 
the  game  would  not  "be  around"  on  such  a  day. 
But  knowing  the  habits  of  game  and  the  inclinations 
of  the  Kashmiri,  I  was  soon  climbing  the  mountain. 
It  took  two  hours  of  hard  work  to  reach  the  top, 
where  we  searched  the  neighboring  ridges  with  the 
glasses,  but  found  nothing.  The  shikaris  then  sug- 
gested that  I  sit  down  in  my  wet  clothes  and  wait  all 
day  for  the  evening  shooting ;  but  having  no  desire 
to  contract  pneumonia,  rheumatism,  or  other  similar 
ills,  I  told  Kadera  that  he  could  remain  if  he  wished, 
that  I  was  going  back  to  camp,  and  would  return  in 
the  afternoon.  So  I  descended,  slept  from  nine  till 
two,  and  climbing  again,  reached  the  top  at  four. 
This  bit  of  energy  seemed  completely  to  stagger  the 
shikaris,  who  had  had  no  idea  that  I  would  return, 
and  had  doubtless  passed  the  dismal  hours  cheered 
up  by  the  prospect  of  being  able  to  say  to  me  on 
their  reaching  camp  in  the  evening,  "We  told  you 


1 88  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

so !"  But  the  work  was  to  no  purpose,  for  we  saw  no 
game. 

On  the  2  ist  I  moved  from  Chugam  Nullah  to  a 
nullah  some  ten  miles  away,  whose  name  I  could  not 
gather  from  the  shikaris'  pronunciation,  though  it 
sounded  like  "  Zine."  Here  we  camped  in  a  pretty 
grove  of  trees  beside  the  Kamri  River,  very  swift  and 
of  a  beautiful  green,  quite  unlike  the  usual  dirty 
brown  of  these  snow-fed  streams.  The  rain  still 
poured,  and  after  tiffin  I  had  changed  into  com- 
fortable dry  clothes  and  was  sitting  on  the  floor  of 
my  tent,  congratulating  myself  that  the  day's  work 
was  over  and  that  I  could  conscientiously  indulge 
in  an  afternoon's  rest,  when  a  coolie  bolted  into 
camp  with  the  news  that  a  herd  of  sharpu  were  on 
the  mountain  above  camp.  We  ascended  at  a  pace 
which  left  nothing  to  be  desired,  only  to  see  the  whole 
herd  disappear  as  we  came  within  range.  A  second, 
later  alarm  brought  me  out  and  up  the  mountain 
again ;  but  I  soon  found  that  what  had  been  taken 
for  a  sharpu  was  a  stray  calf  from  one  of  the  vil- 
lages below.  By  supper-time  I  would  not  have  left 
camp  again  to  shoot  the  biggest  sharpu  head  in  crea- 
tion, my  intentions  and  energies  being  by  that  time 
wholly  and  unreservedly  concentrated  on  the  deli- 
cious meal  which  Thomas  well  knew  would  be 
required  after  such  a  disheartening  day's  work. 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING     189 

The  next  two  days  were  very  dismal  ones,  for 
a  steady  downpour  kept  me  in  camp,  the  clouds 
hanging  low  on  the  mountain,  rendering  stalking 
impossible,  and  I  sat  on  the  ground  in  my  wigwam 
(Perry  now  having  the  big  tent),  wishing  heartily 
that  it  would  dry  up  and  not  waste  my  valuable  time 
and  temper.  Then  I  had  two  splendid  days  of  hunt- 
ing, unsuccessful,  but  none  the  less  delightful.  On 
one  of  them  I  was  on  my  feet  for  ten  and  a  half 
hours,  with  but  half  an  hour's  halt  for  tiffin,  and  in- 
deed it  seemed  to  me  that  night  that  we  had  crossed 
most  of  the  mountain-ranges  in  Kashmir.  The  rain 
had  evidently  driven  all  the  game  away,  and  not 
wishing  to  waste  more  valuable  time  from  my  black 
bear  shooting,  and  on  an  unimportant  animal,  I 
broke  camp  on  the  26th  for  my  hundred-mile  march 
to  Bandipur,  where  I  was  to  take  boat  to  the  bear 
country.  This  march  occupied  just  four  days. 

After  the  barren  and  rugged  country  over  which 
we  had  come,  and  the  almost  impossible  trails  we 
had  labored  over,  to  get  down  to  a  smooth  road, 
surrounded  by  fields  of  grass  and  flowers,  was  most 
gratifying.  The  first  day  we  pushed  on  from  day- 
light till  dark,  following  the  course  of  the  Kamri 
River,  and  all  the  way  getting  the  grandest  views 
of  Nunga  Parbat,  as  it  loomed  up  above  all  else 
behind  us.  That  night  my  camp  was  just  at  the  foot 


190  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

of  the  Kamri  Pass,  which  I  crossed  on  the  following 
morning,  13,400  feet  high ;  and  though  I  had  no  dif- 
ficulty myself,  the  ponies  became  stuck  in  the  snow 
and  were  badly  delayed.  We  tiffined  at  Kamri,  a 
village  of  fields  spread  out  on  the  side  of  the  slope 
down  from  the  pass,  and  in  the  afternoon  followed 
the  course  of  the  Kishengunga  River  to  Gurais. 

Gurais  is  in  a  little  valley  of  its  own,  shut  in  by 
fine  limestone  cliffs,  the  village  itself  being  con- 
structed of  two-story  log  huts,  —  now  no  longer  the 
miserable  windowless  low  stone  hovels  of  the  Baltis, 
—  and  its  broad  pastures  make  a  pretty  picture. 
Kadera  wished  me  to  camp  in  the  graveyard,  it 
being  the  only  available  space  near  the  village ;  but 
this  seemed  inappropriate,  and  I  selected  a  spot 
which,  though  it  necessitated  Kadera's  walking  a 
little  farther  to  see  his  friends  in  the  village,  pos- 
sessed attractions  for  me  which  the  graveyard 
totally  lacked. 

A  delightful  march  on  the  following  day,  through 
a  deep  wooded  gorge  opening  into  a  forest  of  great 
pines,  brought  us  to  a  bungalow  on  the  Burzil  River 
known  as  Gorai.  I  met  two  other  sahibs  just  before 
reaching  it,  and  enjoyed  a  pleasant  hour's  chat  with 
them  at  their  tiffin  by  the  roadside,  which  one  ap- 
preciates when  one  has  seen  so  few  white  men  for  so 
long  a  time.  On  the  2Qth  the  road  led  over  the  last 


MARKHOR  AND  SHARPU  SHOOTING    191 

mountain-chain  before  descending  to  the  valley 
proper  of  Kashmir;  the  Tragbal  Pass,  11,800  feet 
high,  but  here  no  snow.  From  its  top  we  looked 
down  into  the  great  valley  which  we  had  left  on  the 
1 3th  day  of  May,  extending  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
see,  a  splendid  view ;  and  then  descended  through 
thick  forest  to  Bandipur. 

During  the  previous  three  months  we  had  passed 
through  the  temperature  of  every  season  of  the  year. 
The  first  week,  up  to  the  Zogi  La  Pass,  was  the  deli- 
cious climate  of  early  autumn,  crisp  and  clear;  on 
the  Zogi  La,  winter  in  all  its  severity;  in  our  ibex 
nullah  the  weather  was  that  of  November  at  night 
and  of  September  in  the  day ;  coming  down  into  the 
Shigar  Valley,  and  again  into  Astore,  we  revelled 
in  the  fragrance  of  May  and  June.  Now,  suddenly, 
we  found  ourselves  in  summer  —  not  the  fearful 
summer  of  Calcutta,  but  the  balmy  delicious  sum- 
mer of  the  North  Shore  or  the  Maine  woods  at 
home.  My  camp  was  in  a  field  shaded  by  a  monster 
chenar  tree ;  the  trees  about  were  laden  with  fruit, 
the  whole  surrounding  country  bright  with  the  thou- 
sands of  varieties  of  wild  flowers  for  which  Kashmir 
is  famous,  and  their  scent  filled  the  air ;  brilliantly 
colored  birds  sang  continually,  and  all  the  space 
between  the  hills  and  the  broad  valley  below  was 
a  prosperous  picture  of  thatched  bungalows  sur- 


192  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

rounded  by  their  fields  of  wheat  and  rice.  Summer, 
luxurious  full-blooded  summer,  filled  the  world  with 
all  her  riches.  Indeed  it  was  with  great  satisfaction 
that  in  such  surroundings  I  began  the  last  phase  of 
my  Kashmir  shooting,  the  hunt  for  black  bear. 


CHAPTER  IX 

BLACK  BEAR  HONKING  IN  THE  VALLEY  OF  KASHMIR 

LTHOUGH  it  had  not  been  my  inten- 
tion to  look  for  bear  around  Bandipur, 
it  was  here  that  an  event  occurred 
which  convinced  me  that  game  was 
plentiful  and  made  me  sanguine  of  early  success. 
Kadera  came  into  the  tent  toward  sundown  to  in- 
form me  that  two  large  black  bears  had  recently 
been  seen  in  the  hills  directly  behind  the  village,  and 
suggested  that  we  tramp  back  a  few  miles  on  the 
chance  of  running  across  one.  We  accordingly  set 
out  with  a  gam  wallah,  or  local  guide,  who  led  us  up 
into  the  hills  to  the  foot  of  a  long  slope  covered  with 
low  furze-bush,  where  we  crouched  for  a  couple  of 
hours.  Toward  dark  my  eye  was  caught  by  a  large 
object  moving  across  the  open  hilltop  some  three 
.hundred  yards  from  our  position.  Its  enormous  size 
made  me  believe  at  first  that  it  must  be  a  stray  bul- 
lock, and  the  fact  that  the  shikaris,  usually  so  quick 
to  sight  game,  remained  motionless,  almost  kept 
me  from  calling  attention  to  it.  Yet  bullocks  are 
seldom  black,  and  there  was  something  about  the 


194  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

gait  of  this  object  which  convinced  me  that  it  was 
quite  another  animal.  It  was  barely  distinguishable 
in  the  twilight,  moving  slowly  through  the  bushes 
across  the  hillside.  I  touched  Kadera  on  the  shoul- 
der and  pointed ;  the  result  was  startling :  Kadera 
dropped  on  his  stomach  as  if  shot,  while  the  gam 
wallah  did  likewise,  causing  me  to  realize  that  the 
fast-disappearing  object  above  was  one  of  the  largest 
black  bears  I  probably  ever  should  have  the  fortune 
to  run  across.  As  we  were  about  to  stalk,  a  peasant 
came  toward  us  in  hot  haste  from  the  other  direc- 
tion, and  explained  in  some  excitement  that  a  bul- 
lock had  been  killed  within  the  hour  not  far  from 
where  we  were,  and  that  a  bear  was  still  at  the  car- 
cass. As  it  was  now  much  too  dark  successfully  to 
stalk  the  other,  we  quickly  shed  all  unnecessary 
garments  and  prepared  to  follow  our  new  guide 
through  a  terrible  tangle  of  underbrush.  We  were 
on  our  hands  and  knees  most  of  the  way,  and  as  we 
approached  the  spot  indicated  by  the  peasant,  our 
efforts  to  move  silently  were  exceedingly  trying.  By 
the  time  we  reached  it,  a  full  moon  was  shining 
through  the  undergrowth,  making  every  stump  ex- 
hibit such  remarkably  bear-like  characteristics  that 
more  than  one  of  them  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  shot,  until  nearer  inspection  proved  it  con- 
clusively to  be  a  genuine  stump.  The  bear,  how- 


CAMP    NEAR    HAXDIPUR 


CAMP    IN   THE    HEAR    COUNTRY 


BLACK  BEAR  HONKING  195 

ever,  must  have  heard  our  approach,  for  he  was  not 
with  the  body  of  the  bullock,  nor  did  he  venture 
back  to  reward  our  long  night's  silent  vigil. 

Unfortunately  there  were  no  nullahs  in  this  region 
large  enough  to  beat ;  and  since  Kadera  assured  me 
that  at  the  head  of  the  Kashmir  Valley  we  should 
find  several  bears  for  every  one  we  gave  up  here,  I 
agreed  on  the  following  morning  to  start  along. 

Kashmir  was  no  longer  the  green  and  fertile  val- 
ley I  had  left  in  May.  News  had  come  to  me  while 
in  Baltistan  of  a  terrible  flood  which  had  completely 
inundated  the  country,  wrecking  houses,  destroying 
farms,  and  resulting  even  in  much  loss  of  human  life. 
Now  below  us  extended  a  vast  lake  as  far  as  one 
could  see,  with  only  an  occasional  tree  or  housetop 
to  mark  where  cultivated  farms  and  dwellings  for- 
merly had  stood.  Doongas  conveyed  the  tents  and 
provisions  across  the  flooded  valley,  where  pack- 
ponies  were  secured  for  the  remaining  distance  to 
the  base  of  the  hills.  Here,  on  the  second  day  from 
Bandipur,  camp  was  made  in  a  grove  of  chenars,  a 
river  within  stone's  throw  on  one  side,  and  thick 
woods  rising  close  on  the  other. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  on  this 
ride  showed  Kashmir  at  her  loveliest  and  best.  One 
felt  as  if  one  were  continuously  crossing  the  well- 
kept  grounds  of  a  huge  private  estate,  and  at  any 


196  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

moment  might  come  upon  the  towers  and  chimneys 
of  some  lordly  mansion.  There  was  no  road.  One 
passed  over  the  greenest  of  grass,  smooth  and  fresh 
as  any  lawn,  extending  as  far  as  one  could  see,  ex- 
cept where  groves  of  wide-spreading  chenar  trees 
cast  their  shade  like  oaks  on  a  country  park.  Roses 
—  not  our  wild  ones,  but  such  roses  as  at  home  are 
brought  to  flower  only  under  hothouse  panes  — 
and  wild  flowers  of  all  colors  and  species  grew  along 
our  way  and  filled  the  air  with  fragrance.  In  the 
midst  of  such  surroundings,  to  come  upon  the  dirty 
little  hovels  of  a  native  village,  with  the  fresh  lawn 
extending  to  its  very  doors  and  the  chenar  trees 
surrounding  it,  seemed  indeed  incongruous.  I  spent 
the  night  with  pillow  and  blanket  out  under  a  clear 
sky,  till  toward  morning  a  sharp  rain  drove  me  to 
seek  shelter  in  the  house  of  the  headman  of  the 
village.  Here  my  bed  was  a  handful  of  straw  scat- 
tered on  a  baked-mud  floor,  with  stuffy  atmosphere 
and  smells  indescribable,  — a  radical  and  unwelcome 
change. 

The  beaters  arrived  at  camp  the  following  morn- 
ing. They  began  to  come  in  twos  and  threes,  then  in 
fives  and  sixes,  and  finally  in  dozens,  so  that  by  the 
time  breakfast  was  over  the  entire  male  population 
of  some  three  villages  was  grouped  about  my  tent. 
With  the  help  of  the  shikaris,  fifty  of  these  were 


BLACK  BEAR  HONKING  197 

selected,  and  each  given  a  slip  of  paper  bearing  my 
signature;  for,  when  they  should  come  for  their 
wages  at  the  end  of  the  day,  I  did  not  wish  to  have 
the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  beaters,  as  well  as 
the  beaters  themselves,  turning  up  for  payment. 

The  din  these  fifty  souls  succeed  in  making  as  they 
move  in  a  long  line  up  the  centre  and  two  sides  of 
a  wooded  nullah,  shrieking,  howling,  cat-calling, 
setting  off  fire-crackers,  and  beating  tom-toms,  is 
enough  to  drive  any  self-respecting  bear  out  of  his 
seven  senses.  An  army  of  battle-shouting  dervishes 
could  hardly  create  a  greater  uproar,  nor  is  it  at  all 
surprising  that  the  bear  should  find  a  pressing  en- 
gagement elsewhere  at  the  earliest  possible  moment 
after  finding  his  nullah  thus  rudely  invaded.  If  he 
turns  down  the  nullah,  he  encounters  the  invading 
army ;  if  he  tries  to  escape  by  the  sides,  he  is  met  and 
driven  back  by  beaters  already  posted.  Therefore 
he  does  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  by  flee- 
ing up  the  centre  of  the  nullah  directly  away  from 
the  oncoming  din.  At  the  top  of  the  cleft  stands  the 
sportsman.  The  thickness  of  the  undergrowth  prob- 
ably prevents  the  sportsman's  seeing  the  bear  or  the 
bear  seeing  him  until  they  actually  meet.  Hence 
the  excitement. 

I  regret  to  say  that  in  spite  of  Kadera's  assertion 
that  bears  would  be  so  thick  in  this  country  as  prac- 


198  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

tically  to  necessitate  our  looking  carefully  where  we 
walked  lest  we  stumble  over  them,  —  a  statement 
which  I  took  with  several  grains  of  salt,  as  one  does 
the  enthusiasm  of  every  Kashmiri  shikari,  —  it  was 
not  until  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  after  we  had 
unsuccessfully  honked  nine  different  nullahs,  and  I 
was  beginning  to  consider  bear-beating  a  snare  and 
a  delusion,  that  our  first  sport  came. 

The  bear  appeared  on  the  scene  of  action  so  sud- 
denly as  completely  to  take  my  breath  away.  The 
beaters  had  been  moving  listlessly  up  a  cleft,  thickly 
wooded  both  with  trees  and  underbrush ;  this  was 
to  be  the  last  honk  of  the  day,  and  two  days'  un- 
successful searching  had  so  plainly  reacted  on  the 
spirits  of  the  men  as  to  change  the  dervish  battle- 
shout  into  the  mournful  muttering  of  an  Arab  fu- 
neral procession.  The  line  of  beaters  had  almost 
reached  me,  my  shikari  with  a  last  disgusted  look 
had  turned  to  go,  when,  all  at  once,  the  beaters  who 
had  been  posted  on  the  side  of  the  nullah  above 
where  I  was  standing  set  up  a  tremendous  shouting : 
"  Bhalu,  Sahib !  bhalu ! "  (Bear,  Sahib,  bear !) 

Now  it  is  one  thing  to  have  a  bear  driven  up  to 
you  from  below,  with  plenty  of  warning  that  he  is 
coming  and  time  to  choose  an  advantageous  spot 
from  which  to  shoot ;  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  find 
suddenly  that  the  bear  has  somehow  got  above  you, 


Si 

X      « 


s  1 


§ 
§  I 


BLACK  BEAR  HONKING  199 

is  being  driven  directly  down  upon  you  with  all  the 
impetus  a  steep  hillside  gives,  and  with  the  thick 
undergrowth  extending  to  your  very  feet.  I  had 
barely  time  to  wheel  around  when  the  bear  came 
down  the  hillside,  aimed  directly  at  the  little  clear- 
ing in  which  I  was  standing.  A  moment's  glimpse 
of  his  back  in  the  jungle  did  not  afford  me  time  to 
shoot.  He  disappeared  in  the  undergrowth,  but  was 
still  coming  toward  me,  as  I  could  tell  by  the  short 
yelps  of  excitement  which  he  uttered,  like  a  fright- 
ened dog,  as  the  beaters  closed  in.  Immediately,  as 
he  emerged  from  the  bushes,  he  was  met  by  the  con- 
tents of  both  barrels  of  my  .450  cordite-powder  ex- 
press, which,  aimed  and  fired  so  suddenly  from  my 
hip  at  the  close  range  of  less  than  two  yards,  seemed 
to  have  missed  him  altogether,  though  the  report 
turned  him  and  sent  him  lumbering  down  on  the 
beaters  below. 

There  followed  an  exciting  ten  minutes.  As  the 
natives  closed  in,  the  bear  went  frantically  around 
in  a  circle,  trying  to  break  through  the  line.  I  ran 
down  to  the  foot  of  the  hillside,  where  an  occasional 
view  of  his  back  in  the  underbrush  showed  me  that 
he  had  not  escaped,  though  I  dared  not  fire  lest  I 
hit  a  beater.  The  fifty  coolies  were  yelling  like  so 
many  demons,  the  shikaris  were  out  of  their  heads 
with  excitement,  and  the  bear,  who  was  doubtless 


200  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  most  excited  of  all,  continued  his  circular  course 
inside  the  line  of  beaters,  as  regularly  as  a  planet 
on  its  accustomed  orb. 

I  was  now  afraid  that  unless  I  should  stop  him, 
he  might  escape  through  the  line ;  and  working  up 
a  little  nearer,  I  fired  several  shots,  each  of  which  I 
afterwards  found  took  effect.  The  bear  was  now 
thoroughly  maddened,  and  suddenly  changing  his 
course  came  lumbering  down  the  nullah  directly 
toward  me.  The  shikaris  shouted  to  look  out,  while 
the  beaters  redoubled  their  cries  and  added  to  the 
confusion  and  my  fear  of  shooting  wild  by  follow- 
ing the  animal  down  hill.  The  thick  underbrush 
annoyed  me  greatly,  for  though  I  could  catch  an 
occasional  glimpse  of  his  back,  it  was  almost  impos- 
sible when  I  saw  him  to  fire  quickly  enough,  and  I 
knew  that  in  a  moment  he  would  be  on  me.  He  was 
within  four  yards  when  a  final  shot  sent  him  on  his 
back,  and  brought  him  rolling  almost  to  my  feet, 
quite  dead. 

My  faith  in  the  .450  express  was  distinctly  dimin- 
ished when  eleven  holes  were  found  in  his  skin.  He 
was  shot  through  and  through,  five  shots  at  least 
having  passed  completely  through  and  out  of  his 
body.  I  had  used  lead-nosed  steel  bullets,  and  the 
only  explanation  was  that  every  shot  had  merely 
gone  through  the  soft  parts,  missing  any  large  bone 


BLACK  BEAR   HONKING  201 

or  vital  spot  of  the  body ;  and  indeed  with  the  hin- 
drance of  the  thick  brush  his  death  was  due  more 
to  luck  than  to  marksmanship.  The  last  shot,  which 
finished  him,  had  struck  the  shoulder  fair. 

It  was  not  until  several  days  later  that  the  second 
bear  came  in.  We  started  early  from  camp  and 
moved  all  day  from  one  nullah  to  another,  covering 
a  great  stretch  of  ground ;  but  save  in  one  case,  where 
two  bears  broke  through  the  line  and  got  away  be- 
fore I  could  shoot,  no  game  appeared.  At  five  in  the 
evening,  we  turned  toward  camp,  I  regretting  heart- 
ily that  my  last  day  of  hunting  in  Kashmir  was  over, 
for  I  had  decided  in  any  case  to  break  camp  the  fol- 
lowing morning. 

But  the  shikaris  suggested  honking  one  more 
small  patch  of  jungle  not  far  from  the  camp-ground. 
The  coolies  came  down  through  it  listlessly,  they  also 
being  discouraged,  and  I  had  no  hope  whatsoever  of 
success.  Then  suddenly  there  came  from  one  corner 
of  the  line  that  sudden  yell,  so  welcome  to  a  sports- 
man's ears,  "  Bhalu,  bhalu  !  bara  wallah  !"  —  (Bear, 
bear !  big  one ! )  The  beaters,  managed  by  Sidka,  ar- 
ranged the  honk  splendidly,  forming  at  once  a  com- 
plete chain  and  then  closing  in.  The  bear  attacked 
several  of  them,  and  finally  went  so  savagely  for 
Sidka  that  he  was  warded  off  only  by  repeated 
blows  from  the  shikari's  iron-tipped  staff.  This  I  saw 


202  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

later  covered  with  blood  to  some  inches  from  the 
point. 

The  sport  was  too  much  hidden  by  the  thick 
jungle  to  be  clearly  observed.  From  my  position  on 
the  hillside  I  could  hear  the  beaters'  cries,  and  from 
their  excited  tones  I  knew  that  the  bear  was  giving 
them  all  that  they  could  look  after.  Occasional 
glimpses  of  them  through  the  growth  made  me  feel 
decidedly  out  of  the  game,  and  since  the  bear  was 
so  slow  in  coming  up  to  me,  the  evident  alternative 
was  to  go  down  to  him.  I  met  him  in  a  little  clear- 
ing at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  ruffled  and  very  angry 
from  his  fight  with  the  beaters.  But  he  was  given 
no  time  to  decide  whether  to  attack  or  flee.  A  shot 
behind  the  shoulder  accomplished  what  was  neces- 
sary, and  put  him  out  of  action  for  the  coup  de 
grace.  The  beaters  arrived  one  by  one,  breathless 
and  perspiring,  but  all  triumphant  at  the  result  of 
their  efforts. 

We  had  a  triumphal  procession  on  the  return  to 
camp :  first  came  the  two  tom-toms,  banging  away 
like  a  regimental  drum-corps ;  then  the  bear,  slung 
on  a  pole  supported  on  the  backs  of  two  coolies; 
thirdly,  .the  sportsman,  trying  modestly  to  repress 
an  irrepressible  grin ;  fourthly,  the  shikaris ;  and  last 
but  by  no  means  least,  the  fifty  honkers,  all  discuss- 
ing the  event  at  once,  like  so  many  crows.  As  we 


BLACK  BEAR   HONKING  203 

passed  through  the  village  of  Kaipora,  the  women 
and  children  —  we  had  exhausted  the  place  of  men 
—  turned  out  en  masse  to  see  the  bear,  and  the  occa- 
sion was  all  that  could  be  desired. 


CHAPTER  X 

KASHMIR   TO    CHINA 

ROM  our  camp  at  Kaipora  the  outfit 
was  carried  by  pack-ponies  down  again 
into  the  valley  to  Sopor,  and  thence  by 
doongas  through  the  pretty  canals  back 
to  Srinagar,  where  the  ravages  of  the  flood  were 
painfully  visible  in  all  directions.  The  hotel  on  my 
arrival  was  still  an  island,  to  gain  access  to  which 
one  was  obliged  to  wade  knee-deep  in  water;  and 
here  a  damp  and  dismal  sight  met  one's  view :  the 
lower  floor  had  been  entirely  submerged  and  its 
furniture  ruined,  and  as  the  flood  had  been  flush  with 
the  second  story,  arriving  guests  had  been  obliged 
to  disembark  at  the  second-floor  windows.  Perry 
and  I  had  had  remarkable  luck  with  our  baggage 
and  city  clothes,  for  by  chance  they  had  been  placed 
in  the  attic,  whereas  the  greater  part  of  the  trunks 
in  the  hotel  had  been  left  below  in  the  storeroom, 
and  as  the  flood  had  come  up  with  extreme  rapidity, 
there  had  been  no  time  to  remove  them.  Some 
sportsmen  who,  like  ourselves,  had  been  for  several 
months  in  the  mountains,  returned  while  we  were 


KASHMIR  TO  CHINA  205 

there,  and  finding  the  contents  of  their  baggage  com- 
pletely ruined,  indulged  in  an  expression  of  their 
feelings,  compared  to  which  the  flood  itself  must 
have  been  a  mere  trifle. 

Perry  fortunately  arrived  while  I  was  there,  for 
having  already  secured  three  red  bear,  he  was  will- 
ing to  give  up  his  black  bear  shooting  in  order  to 
accompany  me  to  the  plains.  The  hotel  was  crowded 
with  sportsmen  entering  or  leaving  Kashmir,  chiefly 
British  army  officers  on  leave  of  absence  from  their 
posts  down  below ;  and  though  we  sat  down  to  table 
thirteen  in  number  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the 
month,  the  tales  of  good  sport  in  the  highlands  went 
none  the  less  merrily  forward. 

For  five  days  we  were  busy  shopping,  buying 
shawls,  embroideries,  and  many  other  things  of 
native  manufacture  for  presents  at  home.  For  the 
former  we  dealt  mainly  with  Bahar  Shah,  though 
purchasing  various  shawls  from  Sammad  Shah  and 
Mahmed  Jan  as  well ;  Lussoo  supplied  our  brass 
ware,  Jubbar  Khan  our  carved  wood.  The  sign  of 
"Suffering  Moses,"  famous  for  decades,  still  swings 
from  a  little  shop  on  the  River  Jhelum,  within 
which  Mr.  Sufdermogul  continues  to  carry  on  the 
successful  trade  which  some  English  tourist's  hap- 
pily inspired  suggestion  for  a  sign  first  brought  to 
his  now  well-known  door. 


206  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

One  morning  Bahar  Shah  entertained  us  at  a 
Kashmir  breakfast,  and  on  the  following  day  Lus- 
soo,  the  brass-work  man,  gave  us  a  Persian  tiffin, 
the  most  noteworthy  characteristic  of  which  we 
discovered  just  in  time  to  avert  fatal  consequences, 
—  namely,  that  the  succession  of  courses  was  to 
continue  until  we  gave  word  to  stop.  After  that 
they  began  to  serve  the  sweets,  which  proved  to  be 
quite  the  most  important  and  voluminous  section  of 
the  whole  menu. 

During  this  time  we  kept  a  small  kishti,  very  light 
and  fast,  with  four  paddlers,  which  enabled  us  to 
move  from  place  to  place  over  the  river  and  its  ad- 
jacent canals  with  great  and  delightful  rapidity. 

Old  Sultana,  the  taxidermist,  proved  most  satis- 
factory in  his  curing  of  our  ibex  and  markhor  heads 
and  skins,  which  had  been  previously  sent  him ;  but 
I  unfortunately  permitted  him  also  to  mount  the 
heads  of  the  bear  skins,  to  be  used  as  rugs,  which  he 
did  so  badly  that  they  later  had  to  be  taken  down 
and  set  up  a  second  time  in  America.  The  former 
were  taken  with  us  and  shipped  from  Calcutta  for 
mounting  by  Mr.  Rowland  Ward  in  London,  and 
we  received  them  in  America  some  six  months  later, 
mounted  as  only  Mr.  Ward  knows  how  to  mount  the 
game  of  India. 

It  was  indeed  with  great  regret  that  we  finally  left 


BURMESE    WORSHIPPERS 
Notice  the  "  whackin'  white  cheroot 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  207 

Srinagar.  There  was,  however,  no  time  for  further 
delay;  Perry  had  his  black  buck  shooting  on  the 
plains  still  before  him,  with  but  a  few  weeks  remain- 
ing before  his  final  return  to  America  via  Suez ;  for 
my  part,  there  was  the  long  journey  across  India, 
then  a  visit  to  Burma,  and  the  voyage  around  the 
Malay  Peninsula  to  China,  where  prospects  of  tiger- 
shooting  attracted  me  strongly,  and  finally  the  jour- 
ney home  by  Japan,  all  to  be  concentrated  into  the 
few  months  which  remained  at  my  disposal. 

All  the  tongas  in  Srinagar  having  previously  been 
engaged  for  Lord  Kitchener's  arrival,  we  were 
obliged  instead  to  take  a  landau,  which,  though 
more  comfortable,  is  a  much  heavier  and  slower 
vehicle.  The  livery-man,  however,  had  promised 
for  a  hundred  rupees  to  get  us  to  Rawal  Pindi  in 
three  days ;  so  on  the  I5th  of  August,  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  having  finally  paid  off  our  shikaris 
and  coolies  with  good  presents,  at  which  old  Kadera 
got  down  on  his  knees  and  touched  our  feet,  saying 
he  was  our  servant  forever,  we  started  on  the  long 
one  hundred  and  ninety-eight  mile  drive. 

The  first  night  was  spent  at  the  Chakothi  dak 
bungalow,  and  the  second  at  Kohalla,  where  we  pre- 
viously had  stopped  on  our  way  in.  The  third  day 
was  about  as  varied  and  interesting  a  one  as  I  have 
ever  experienced.  We  were  aroused  at  2.30  A.  M.,  for 


208  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  road  was  said  to  be  slightly  up  hill  and  hard 
on  the  horses;  but  this  we  soon  discovered  to  be 
merely  an  excuse  to  blind  us  to  the  fact  that  all  the 
good  horses  had  already  been  engaged  for  Lord  K., 
and  that  we  had  been  furnished  with  animals  which 
ought  long  since  to  have  been  turned  out  to  pass 
their  few  remaining  days  in  some  peaceful  pasture. 
After  painfully  laboring  for  an  hour,  they  stopped 
and  refused  to  budge  farther.  The  time  until  sun- 
rise we  spent  tugging  at  the  wheels  and  throwing 
sand  at  our  poor  steeds,  but  to  no  purpose ;  so  finally 
Perry  and  I  walked  ahead  some  five  miles  to  procure 
other  conveyance.  During  the  day  we  had  our  lug- 
gage in  some  four  or  five  different  kinds  of  vehicles, 
at  one  time  having  actually  harnessed  a  pair  of  bul- 
locks to  the  landau ;  but  this  method  of  locomotion 
proved  to  be  of  such  dizzy  rapidity  that  we  soon  had 
to  abandon  it. 

Meanwhile  we  were  vainly  trying  to  satisfy  our 
hunger  with  the  native  chuppatties  of  black  flour, 
and  at  dark,  as  we  were  by  this  time  far  in  advance 
of  the  landau,  it  looked  as  if  we  should  have  to  spend 
the  night  dinnerless  in  some  open  field.  At  the 
crucial  moment  our  good  angel  came  to  the  rescue, 
for  we  suddenly  espied  two  comparatively  respec- 
table-looking horses  grazing  in  a  field  near  by.  If 
the  reader  is  inclined  to  combat  the  assertion  that 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  209 

hunger  makes  robbers  of  us  all,  let  him  put  it  to  the 
test.  We  took  those  horses  and  galloped  bareback 
at  top  speed  along  the  road  toward  Murree,  soon 
becoming  separated  in  the  darkness,  but  with  one 
common  impulse  urging  us  ahead,  careless  of  rocks, 
trees,  streams,  or  bridges,  or  anything  save  only 
dinner.  Somehow  we  reached  Murree.  I  remember 
galloping  through  the  town  like  Paul  Revere  on  his 
midnight  ride,  startling  the  groups  of  natives  squat- 
ting about  their  fires  by  the  roadside,  turning  at  top 
speed  from  one  dark  wooded  road  into  another,  till 
finally  the  welcome  lights  of  a  hotel,  a  real  civilized 
hotel,  came  into  sight. 

The  manager  of  the  Rowbury  pleasantly  in- 
formed me  that  the  hotel  was  full,  and  that  not  a 
room  was  to  be  had  for  love  or  money ;  but  I  imagine 
that  my  appearance  must  have  aroused  his  sym- 
pathy, for  he  gave  orders  that  dinner  should  be 
served  and  a  sofa  prepared  for  me  in  the  hall,  where 
a  few  minutes  before  midnight,  after  twenty-one 
hours  of  work,  I  threw  myself  down  and  fell  asleep 
without  further  delay.  Perry  I  found  the  next 
morning  at  another  hotel,  he  having  had  much  the 
same  experience  as  myself,  and  feeling  assured  that, 
having  been  thrown  from  my  horse,  I  was  probably 
lying  in  the  bushes  somewhere  on  the  road.  The 
horses  were  duly  returned. 


210  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

Murree,  by  daylight,  proved  to  be  a  beautiful  hill- 
station  of  fine  residences  and  splendid  wooded  roads, 
prettier  even  than  Simla,  if  that  were  possible.  We 
obtained  other  conveyance,  and  that  evening 
reached  Rawal  Pindi,  where  Thomas  was  awaiting 
us  with  the  heavy  luggage  which  he  had  brought  by 
ekka  from  Srinagar.  Needless  to  state  we  paid  but 
half  of  the  one  hundred  rupees  charged  us  for  the 
landau  and  the  wretched  horses  which  had  been 
supplied.  At  one  A.  M.  on  the  i8th  we  started  in 
the  Punjaub  Express,  Perry  leaving  at  Delhi  for 
his  black  buck  shooting,  and  I  arriving  in  Calcutta 
two  days  and  three  nights  later,  after  a  journey 
which  for  heat,  dust,  and  general  thorough  discom- 
fort cannot  possibly  be  described. 

My  stay  in  Calcutta  was  rendered  most  pleasant 
by  the  hospitality  of  Major  and  Mrs.  C.,  in  com- 
mand of  Fort  William,  who  kindly  asked  me  to  visit 
them  in  their  large,  comfortable  house,  Water  Gate, 
in  a  corner  of  the  ramparts  of  the  fort,  overlooking 
the  broad  road  where  all  Calcutta  takes  its  even- 
ing drive,  and  the  Hooghli  beyond,  with  its  many 
ships  from  all  parts  of  the  world  constantly  pass- 
ing up  and  down  through  its  muddy  waters.  The 
interior  of  the  old  fort,  its  barracks  half  concealed 
by  great  trees  and  its  chapel  rising  in  the  centre, 
surrounded  by  gardens,  lawns,  tennis-courts,  and 


THE    KUTHODAW    PAGODA,  MANDALAY 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  211 

parade-ground,  was  of  unusual  charm  and  pictur- 
esqueness. 

When  visiting  at  private  houses  in  India,  just  as  in 
the  hotels,  one's  own  servant  attends  to  one's  wants, 
bringing  water,  arranging  clothes,  and  even  serving 
one  at  table.  In  the  newer  and  more  up-to-date 
hotels,  such  as  the  Taj  Mahal  in  Bombay,  which 
during  my  visit  was  only  in  the  course  of  construc- 
tion, this  and  other  former  arrangements  have,  I 
believe,  given  place  to  western  customs.  The  pun- 
kah-wallah is  now  no  longer  a  feature  of  Indian  life 
in  the  big  cities,  for  the  electric  fan  has  come  to 
relieve  him  of  his  functions.  But  in  former  days  he 
was  indispensable  in  private  house  and  hostelry 
alike.  He  lay  outside  your  bedroom  door,  always 
asleep,  save  when  on  your  entrance  a  reminding 
prod  started  him  hastily  jerking  the  punkah-cord 
to  and  fro.  The  punkah,  a  big  swinging  curtain  sus- 
pended over  one's  bed  from  the  centre  of  the  ceiling, 
moved  heavily  back  and  forth,  and  breathing  was 
rendered  possible  in  the  stifling  atmosphere.  One 
awoke  at  night  with  a  consciousness  of  unbearable 
heat,  found  that  the  punkah  had  stopped,  and  shied 
a  boot  through  the  door;  the  cord  and  punkah 
jerked  hysterically  for  a  few  moments,  then  gradu- 
ally came  again  to  rest  as  the  wretched  Hindu  with- 
out sank  once  more  into  profound  and  peaceful 


212  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

slumber,  until  the  boot-process  was  repeated,  and 
during  the  moments  of  the  punkah's  action  one 
managed  again  to  fall  asleep. 

On  August  26  I  sailed  on  the  British  India 
Company's  S.  S.  Gwaliorfor  Rangoon,  arriving  there 
four  days  later  after  a  hot  but  pleasant  voyage.  In 
contrast  to  the  burnt  and  barren  plains  the  verdant 
jungle-growth  of  Burma  and  the  spicy  tropic  smell 
strike  pleasantly  on  one's  senses.  Rangoon,  to  my 
mind,  cannot  compare  in  beauty  with  Colombo, 
but  it  possesses  at  least  the  cocoanut  palms,  banana 
trees,  and  other  shady  verdure  of  Ceylon,  and  here 
the  gaiety  and  brightness  of  eastern  life  is  at  its 
best.  The  Burman,  if  the  laziest,  is  surely  the  most 
cheerful  of  all  races,  and  one  would  guess  this,  if 
in  no  other  way,  from  the  brilliant  clothes  he  wears 
and  from  his  ever  smiling  face.  His  sarong  is  gen- 
erally of  bright  yellow,  green,  or  pink,  and  the  wo- 
men wear  silk  skirts  and  scarfs  either  combining 
yellow  and  green,  or  all  of  pink,  which  contrast 
pleasantly  with  their  jet-black  hair.  The  Burmese 
girl,  unlike  the  Hindu,  does  not  veil  her  face  with 
a  shabby  head-cloth  when  you  pass,  but  is  quite 
willing  to  let  you  see  her  beauty ;  and  she  generally 
gives  you  a  smile  into  the  bargain.  She  is  graceful 
and  usually  pretty,  and  never  by  any  chance,  one 
might  almost  say,  is  she  without  her  enormous  cigar 


KASHMIR  TO  CHINA  213 

and  a  parasol.  These  two  accessories  are  as  distinc- 
tive of  the  Burman  as  is  the  tortoise-shell  comb  of 
the  Cingalee.  The  "whackin*  white  cheroot"  as  a 
matter  of  fact  does  not  in  any  way  resemble  a  civ- 
ilized cigar ;  it  is  approximately  a  foot  long  and  an 
inch  in  diameter,  and  is  cylindrical  in  shape,  like  a 
cigarette,  being  filled  with  a  marvellous  assortment 
of  ingredients,  —  sugar-cane,  sandal-wood,  incense- 
bearing  spices — a  little  of  everything,  in  fact,  with 
tobacco  distinctly  in  the  minority, — and  all  con- 
fined in  a  wrapper  formed  from  the  teak  leaf  or  the 
inner  bark  of  the  betel  tree,  more  usually  brown 
than  white.  Indeed  from  its  size  one  is  tempted  to 
inquire  what  that  cigar  is  doing  with  the  little  girl, 
instead  of  vice  versa. 

While  mentioning  the  gaiety  of  the  native  life,  I 
might  incidentally  remark  that  the  Burman  passes 
to  the  next  world  in  a  no  less  cheerful  manner  than 
he  proceeds  through  this.  One  has  only  to  see  a 
Burmese  funeral  to  accept  the  truth  of  my  asser- 
tion. The  procession  is  preceded  by  some  fifty  boys, 
laughing  and  shouting ;  then  comes  the  coffin,  draped 
in  bright  yellow  silk  and  covered  with  flags  of  all 
colors,  and  followed  by  the  mourners,  men,  women, 
and  children,  all  in  bright  yellow,  green,  and  pink, 
all  singing  and  laughing,  and  all  smoking  their  be- 
loved cigars.  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  lady  or 


214  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

gentleman  who  occupies  the  coffin  must  wear  a 
happy  and  cheerful  smile,  even  though  the  usually 
indispensable  cheroot  has,  through  force  of  circum- 
stances, to  be  omitted. 

In  Rangoon  there  are  two  things  which,  above 
all,  interest  the  traveller:  first,  the  working  ele- 
phants "a-pilin'  teak,  in  the  sludgy,  squdgy  creek," 
—  only  in  Rangoon  one  finds  them  laboring  in  a 
neat  and  conventional  lumber-yard,  with  no  ap- 
preciable "squdginess"  in  evidence;  and  secondly, 
the  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda.  The  elephants  are  good 
and  conscientious  workers;  they  drag  great  logs 
across  the  yards  with  their  trunks,  logs  which  from 
their  size  it  would  seem  could  be  moved  only  by  a 
steam-crane,  and  stack  them  in  piles,  observing  with 
a  trained  eye  the  neatness  of  the  rows,  and  butting 
projecting  beams  into  place  so  as  to  be  flush  with 
the  others.  The  labor,  being  purely  mechanical, 
does  not  seem  to  demand  a  very  high  degree  of  in- 
telligence, though  the  clever  training  of  the  brutes 
must  be  acknowledged.  Where  they  actually  do 
show  their  discernment  is  when  the  hour  for  the 
noon-day  rest  arrives :  all  work  is  promptly  dropped, 
even  though  a  log  may  be  but  half-way  across  the 
yard,  and  off  they  troop  to  lunch,  oblivious  of  the 
mahout's  imprecations  and  ankus-digs ;  returning 
faithfully  to  their  task  at  the  appointed  time.  As 


PAVILIONS   SURROUNDING  THE   KUTHODAW    PAGODA,  MANDALAY 


THE    Ki: TIIODAW    I'AtiODA     MANDALAY 


ENTRANCE   TO   THE    KUTHODAW    PAGODA,   MANDALAY 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  215 

they  cannot  endure  the  heat  of  the  day  while  work- 
ing, I  believe  that  their  hours  extend  only  from 
dawn  till  nine  and  from  three  till  dusk  in  winter; 
and  that  in  summer  the  periods  are  shorter  still. 

The  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  whose  name  is  com- 
pounded of  the  Burmese  word  for  "  golden"  and 
Dagon,  the  ancient  name  of  the  city  of  Rangoon, 
may  rightfully  be  said  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  sights 
in  the  world ;  its  great  gilded  tower,  surmounted 
by  the  usual  ti,  or  umbrella,  surrounded  by  little 
bells  which  tinkle  musically  in  every  breath  of  wind, 
rises  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet  from  the  ground 
and  is  the  first  landmark  one  sees  as  one  ascends  the 
Irrawaddy  to  Rangoon ;  the  vast  terrace  which  lies 
about  its  base  is  always  thronged  with  thousands 
and  thousands  of  worshippers,  bringing  their  offer- 
ings of  flowers  and  candles  to  Buddha  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  and  chanting  their  prayers  while  pros- 
trate before  one  of  his  many  images,  which  in  smaller 
temples  and  shrines  surround  the  terrace.  It  is  a 
somewhat  unique  sight  to  see  all  ages  of  people, 
from  old  men  to  young  girls,  kneeling  in  front  of 
one  of  these  enormous  and,  it  must  be  said,  hideous 
idols,  holding  bunches  of  superb  lilies  in  their  clasped 
hands  while  they  bow  and  pray,  all  the  while  puff- 
ing at  their  great  cheroots,  with  which  not  even 
religion  is  allowed  to  interfere. 


2i6  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

A  few  months  before  my  arrival  a  tiger  came  on 
to  the  terrace  from  the  jungle,  and,  frightened  by 
the  worshippers,  climbed  to  one  of  the  ledges  half- 
way up  the  pagoda  tower.  It  was  shot  there  by  a 
British  officer  and  a  life-sized  model  placed  on  the 
spot ;  for  the  people,  once  the  animal  was  dead,  had 
turned  on  the  officer  whom  in  their  terror  they  had 
summoned  to  shoot  it,  and  accused  him  of  killing 
the  good  nat,  or  protecting  spirit  of  the  pagoda. 

The  terrace,  which  is  nine  hundred  feet  in  length, 
contains  hundreds  of  minor  shrines  and  idols,  be- 
fore which  candles  are  continually  burning  and  wor- 
shippers constantly  kneeling  in  prayer.  Their  de- 
votions do  not,  however,  in  any  way  interfere  with 
the  countless  crowds  moving  at  all  times  about  the 
terrace,  which  constitutes  the  popular  promenade 
of  all  Rangoon.  The  pagoda  itself  is  said  to  contain, 
among  other  holy  relics,  eight  hairs  from  the  head 
of  the  Buddha,  or  Gawdama,  as  he  is  called  in  Bur- 
mese, once  given  by  him  to  a  Burmese  deputation. 
In  the  almost  countless  years  of  its  existence  it  has 
frequently  been  regilt,  but  as  the  amount  of  gold-leaf 
necessary  for  this  process  is  alone  worth  some  ten 
thousand  pounds  sterling,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
labor  involved,  it  is  not  a  work  which  can  be  under- 
taken as  often  as  the  pagoda's  outward  appearance 
might  seem  to  justify.  A  pious  Burman  will  often 


KASHMIR  TO  CHINA  217 

erect  a  new  pagoda  in  order  to  "  acquire  merit/1  but 
as  no  such  merit  is  known  to  accrue  from  the  repair 
of  an  old  one,  private  donations  for  such  a  com- 
mendable purpose  are  seldom  forthcoming. 

There  is  nothing  romantic  about  the  "road  to 
Mandalay,"  at  least,  certainly,  not  about  the  rail- 
road which  we  took  in  preference  to  the  slower 
flotilla-steamers,  thus  avoiding  the  trip  by  the  old 
"road"  between  the  rather  desolate  banks  of  the 
Irrawaddy ;  nor  was  there,  to  our  minds,  much  that 
was  romantic  about  Mandalay  itself.  In  eastern 
cities  one  expects  age  above  all,  and  this  perhaps  ac- 
counts for  Mandalay's  lack  of  charm.  For  the  capi- 
tal of  King  Mindon  Min  dates  only  from  1856,  and 
is  laid  out  in  the  regular  symmetrical  blocks  of  New 
York  or  the  Back  Bay  of  Boston,  and  the  streets 
and  avenues,  or  "roads"  bear  such  prosaic  names 
as  "  84th  Street"  or  "  B  Road."  It  has  an  area  of 
eighteen  square  miles  and  impresses  one  chiefly 
with  the  glare  of  its  unsheltered,  dusty,  white  ex- 
panse. There  is  little  shade  in  the  whole  great  city. 
As  for  its  sights,  when  one  has  visited  King  The- 
baw's  palace,  the  Fort,  and  the  Kuthodaw  Pagoda, 
guarded  by  mighty  griffins  and  surrounded  by  729 
small  pavilions,  each  containing  a  slab  on  which  is 
a  verse  of  the  Buddhist  scriptures  in  Burmese,  one 
has  seen  the  principal  features  of  the  town.  Its  in- 


218  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

terest  centres  more  in  the  story  of  the  ill-fated  royal 
line,  from  the  coming  of  good  King  Mindon  Min 
through  to  the  final  disaster,  when  Thebaw  and  his 
brilliant  wife,  Supayawlat,  surrendered  to  the  Brit- 
ish and  were  exiled,  on  November  30,  1885,  — a 
story  which,  with  its  plots  and  counter-plots,  pos- 
sesses all  the  dramatic  qualities  of  an  Arabian  Nights 
tale,  and  is  indeed  all  that  one  finds  romantic  about 
Mandalay. 

Through  a  resident  to  whom  we  had  letters,  we 
attended  one  evening  the  chief  form  of  Burmese  en- 
tertainment, the  Pwe,  or  drama,  about  which  there 
is  nothing  remarkable,  except  its  duration.  It  be- 
gins in  the  evening  and  continues  till  dawn,  and  if 
ever  the  quality  of  a  dramatic  entertainment  was 
sacrificed  to  quantity,  it  surely  is  so  in  the  Pwe. 
Many  of  the  audience  bring  their  bedding  with  them 
—  for  the  pit  is  devoid  of  stalls  —  andt  sleep  peace- 
fully through  those  parts  of  the  play  which  lack 
particular  interest  or  dramatic  thrill. 

On  September  4  we  set  sail  from  Rangoon  by  the 
British  India  Company's  S.  S.  Pentakota,  stopping 
at  Penang,  passing  down  through  the  Malacca 
Straits,  where  on  account  of  the  heavy  atmosphere 
the  sunrises  and  sunsets  surpassed  in  magnificence 
anything  of  the  kind  that  I  previously  had  seen,  and 
arrived  at  Singapore  five  days  later,  whence  on  the 


KASHMIR  TO  CHINA  219 

1 2th  we  took  the  North  German  Lloyd  S.  S.  Seyd- 
litz  eastward.  On  the  iyth  we  threaded  our  way 
through  a  maze  of  small  wooded  islands,  where  the 
dark-ribbed  sails  of  the  junks  told  as  nothing  else 
could  that  we  were  now  in  Chinese  waters,  and  so 
entered  the  beautiful  port  of  Hongkong.  Barring 
that  of  Sydney,  and  possibly  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the 
harbor  of  Hongkong  in  point  of  beauty  is  unrivalled. 
One  enters  what  from  the  town  appears  to  be  a  lake 
of  the  deepest  blue,  —  for  from  within  the  outlets  are 
invisible,  —  surrounded  closely  by  imposing  hills, 
under  the  highest  of  which  lies  the  city.  There  is 
none  of  the  congested,  smoky  appearance  of  the 
usual  commercial  centre,  for  there  are  few  docks, 
and  the  vessels  lie  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  where  the 
breeze  continually  clears  the  smoke  away.  There 
being  no  wharves  to  obscure  the  view,  one  gets  from 
the  Bund,  or  sea-wall,  a  lively  picture,  with  the  big 
liners  and  merchantmen  anchored  in  the  roadstead, 
and  hundreds  of  little  steam-launches,  for  the  great 
number  of  which  Hongkong  is  noted,  racing  to  and 
fro  among  the  shipping.  Here  on  the  Bund  is  the 
Hongkong  Club,  on  whose  cool  veranda  one  can 
recline  in  comfortable  cane-chairs,  and  watch  the 
whole  great  scene  of  life  and  color.  This  club,  by  the 
way,  boasts  fifteen  hundred  members,  and  is  second 
to  none  in  the  East. 


220  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

A  day  or  two  after  reaching  Hongkong  we  took 
the  night  boat,  the  Kinshan,  up  the  river  to  Canton, 
in  order  to  spend  a  day  in  that  ancient  and  famous 
city  of  the  Celestials.  Of  the  impressions  received, 
about  ninety  per  cent,  I  should  say,  were  communi- 
cated through  the  organ  of  smell,  and  on  these  I  shall 
not  dilate  more  than  to  remark  that  so  choice  and 
variegated  a  selection  of  odors  it  had  not  previously 
been  my  fortune  to  meet.  (Needless  to  remark  I  use 
the  word  "fortune"  more  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  globe-trotter  looking  for  novel  experience  than 
from  that  of  the  aesthete.)  The  remaining  portion  of 
our  impressions  I  shall  try  to  describe,  for  in  the 
cities  of  no  other  country  in  the  world,  I  suppose, 
will  you  find  more  upside-down  and  remarkable  cus- 
toms than  in  China  —  where  the  native  greeting  a 
friend  in  the  street  shakes  his  own  hand,  where  your 
enemy  smiles  when  he  is  most  angry  with  you,  where 
the  women  restrain  the  growth  of  their  feet  till 
walking  becomes  difficult,  and  where,  indeed,  the 
customs  and  manners  of  one  of  the  oldest  civiliza- 
tions of  the  world  possess  for  the  visitor  the  great- 
est interest  and  attraction. 

We  started  from  the  steamer  in  the  morning,  all  in 
chairs  supported  by  three  coolies  each,  Ah  Cum,  our 
guide,  leading,  with  D.,  myself,  and  Thomas  follow- 
ing in  single  file  —  Thomas  on  the  broad  grin  at  the 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  221 

new  sights,  and  the  Chinamen  also  on  the  broad  grin 
at  seeing  such  a  rara  avis  in  their  country  as  Thomas, 
with  his  sarong,  tortoise-shell  comb,  and  "psyche 
knot."  I  fear  he  must  have  been  seriously  embar- 
rassed, for  whenever  we  stopped  he  was  at  once 
surrounded  by  an  admiring  circle,  who  grinned  and 
discussed  him  quite  as  we  should  discuss  a  remark- 
able new  specimen  at  the  Zoo. 

There  are  no  streets  in  Canton,  but  the  city  is 
transected  by  thousands  of  narrow  alley-ways  never 
more  than  ten  feet  wide,  and  through  these  a  dense 
crowd  is  constantly  passing,  so  that  it  was  all  our 
chair-coolies  could  do  to  make  a  passage.  From  the 
buildings  on  both  sides  innumerable  signs,  reading 
up  and  down,  are  suspended  like  the  flies  above  a 
stage,  so  thick  as  almost  to  shut  out  whatever  light 
manages  to  permeate  into  the  narrow  space  beneath. 
The  whole  great  city  appears  to  be  composed  of 
shops,  nothing  but  shops,  and  most  of  these  deal 
in  the  various  articles  of  Chinese  food,  so  that  as 
one  passes  along  in  his  chair  one  is  constantly 
brought  into  unpleasant  proximity  with  extraordi- 
nary messes,  from  the  insides  of  pigs  to  birds'  nests 
and  skinned  rats,  displayed  on  shelves  or  hung  from 
hooks  at  the  sides  of  the  alleys.  Basketfuls  of  live 
pigs  slung  on  a  pole  between  two  coolies  are  much 
in  evidence,  the  Chinamen  singing  in  time  to  their 


222  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

step,  and  the  pigs  yelling  out  of  time  to  the  song, 
which  is  unpleasant,  as  the  smell  is  bad  enough,  but 
the  noise  and  smell  combined,  overpowering. 

The  art  industries  are  of  intense  interest  and  re- 
flect great  credit  on  the  artistic  abilities  of  the  Chi- 
nese. The  enamelling  of  silver  with  kingfishers' 
feathers  was  perhaps  the  most  engrossing  to  watch ; 
but  no  less  interesting  was  the  ivory  and  wood  carv- 
ing, the  painting  on  rice-paper,  and  the  embroidering 
with  silk,  —  storks,  dragons,  and  goldfish  being  the 
predominant  figures  in  most  of  this  last-named  work. 
I  was  exceedingly  fortunate  in  picking  up  an  old 
mandarin  coat  of  marvellous  workmanship,  speci- 
mens of  which,  I  believe,  are  now  becoming  difficult 
to  find. 

Ah  Cum,  after  reaping  a  harvest  of  commissions 
on  our  purchases,  then  took  us  to  several  Confu- 
cian and  Buddhist  temples,  the  most  remarkable  of 
which  was  the  idol-doctor's  temple,  where  the  sick 
man  draws  lots  to  see  what  malady  he  has  and  how 
he  got  it,  and  receives  the  appropriate  remedy. 
Thus,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  a  man  suffering  from 
appendicitis  may  perhaps  learn  that  he  has  whoop- 
ing cough  and  be  given  squills,  —  and  his  faith  in 
the  idol  will  probably  cure  him  of  his  appendicitis ; 
an  excellent  system  indeed. 

At  noon  we  came  to  the  pagoda  on  top  of  the  hill 


THE   CITY   OF    HONGKONG   FROM   THE   HARBOR 


HONGKONG   HARBOR 


KASHMIR  TO   CHINA  223 

which  overlooks  the  whole  great  city,  and  there  tif- 
fined, and  in  the  afternoon  visited  the  execution- 
ground,  one  of  the  municipal  courts,  the  prison,  and 
the  great  Examination  Hall.  Concerning  the  first,  I 
had  expected  to  find  in  the  famous  "  Potter's  Field" 
of  Canton  a  large  open  public  execution-ground,  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall,  and  great  was  my  surprise  when 
our  guide  led  us  to  a  little  alley-way,  no  different 
from  the  rest,  where  the  children  of  the  neighbor- 
hood were  playing  on  a  heap  of  rubbish  in  the  centre, 
in  the  midst  of  a  conglomeration  of  earthen  pots, 
the  stores  of  some  potter  near  by.  And  this  is 
the  spot  where  hundreds  of  criminals  are  led  out  to 
die  by  strangling  or  beheading,  or,  if  less  fortunate, 
by  the  Ling  Chee,  or  death  by  the  thousand  cuts, 
which  is  now  practically  abolished.  The  old  exe- 
cutioner came  out  of  a  house  near  by,  showed  us  the 
heavy  sword  which  he  used  in  his  work  (it  had  not 
been  cleaned),  and  wanted  sixty  cents  to  have  his 
photograph  taken,  which  we  did  n't  give  him.  He 
was  evidently  used  to  tourists. 

No  execution  was  set  for  that  day,  perhaps  for- 
tunately for  us,  for  morbid  curiosity  is  a  failing  of 
the  race  of  man.  So  we  proceeded  to  the  prison. 
It  was  not  an  agreeable  place.  There  was  a  single 
courtyard  packed  with  prisoners,  all  shackled  but 
doing  no  work,  a  group  of  jailers  playing  cards 


224  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

and  smoking  at  the  gate,  and  in  the  corners  of  the 
yard  those  men  who  had  been  sentenced  to  wear  the 
wooden  collar,  a  great  heavy  block  of  wood  some 
three  feet  square,  locked  about  the  neck,  which  pre- 
vents the  wearer  from  lying  down  during  all  the 
months  that  he  wears  it. 

Across  the  yard  was  the  court  of  justice,  where 
the  magistrate  arrived  as  we  entered.  We  were  able 
to  stay  but  for  two  cases,  and  saw  only  one  of  them 
throughout.  The  accused  was  led  in  with  a  chain 
about  his  neck,  and  this  was  thrown  upon  the 
paved  floor,  where  he  knelt  before  the  judge.  Being 
of  a  different  province,  the  judge  could  not  under- 
stand a  word  of  the  prisoner's  dialect:  the  inter- 
preter did  all  the  talking,  while  the  judge  gazed  at 
us  and  about  the  court-room.  It  appeared  that  the 
charge  was  of  stealing  a  woman's  hairpin  in  the 
street,  which  the  interpreter,  who  apparently  acted 
as  prosecuting  attorney  as  well,  brought  out  with 
many  scowls  directed  at  the  unfortunate  man  on 
the  floor,  the  prisoner  meekly  maintaining  his  inno- 
cence. He  was  finally  sentenced  to  wear  the  wooden 
collar  for  two  months. 

I  must  mention  also  the  great  Examination  Hall, 
where  the  students  of  the  province  come  to  take 
their  second  degree  for  the  civil  service,  before 
going  up  to  Peking  for  the  third.  There  are  eleven 


KASHMIR   TO   CHINA  225 

thousand  cells,  each  but  a  few  feet  square.  In  these 
the  candidates  are  confined  for  three  days,  during 
which  time,  we  were  told  by  Ah  Cum,  they  are  re- 
quired to  write  an  essay  on  any  subject  in  the  uni- 
verse which  it  pleases  the  examiners  to  give  them. 
Out  of  the  total  number,  which  may  extend  to  the 
full  eleven  thousand,  so  far  as  the  accommodations 
are  concerned,  only  eighty-eight  are  passed.  The 
examination  takes  place  every  three  years,  and  is 
said  to  require,  with  the  preparation  for  the  first 
degree,  seventeen  years  of  study.  If  a  candidate  is 
caught  cheating  he  is  promptly  taken  out  and  be- 
headed— an  excellent  custom. 

In  the  evening  we  returned  to  the  steamer,  and 
once  more  turned  toward  Hongkong,  glad,  I  must 
say,  to  leave  behind  us  the  smells,  the  noise,  and 
above  all  the  oppressing  effect  of  the  dirty,  ill-lighted 
passages,  with  their  hurrying  streams  of  unwashed 
brown  humanity. 


CHAPTER  XI 

HUNTING  THE   CAVE-DWELLING   TIGER  OF   CHINA 

LONG  the  coast  of  China,  midway  be- 
tween Hongkong  and  Shanghai,  there 
lies  a  tract  of  country  quite  devoid  of 
any  growth,  where  the  barren  hills 
which  roll  back  from  the  sea  to  the  rice-cultivated 
country  inland  are  strewn  with  the  gigantic  boulders 
of  some  prehistoric  glacial  moraine ;  and  it  is  in  the 
numberless  caves  and  subterranean  passages  formed 
by  these  great  confused  masses  of  rock  that  the  sole 
wild  occupant  of  the  country,  the  Chinese  tiger, 
finds  his  lair.  Accordingly  the  sport  of  tiger-shooting 
is  here  quite  a  different  proposition  from  that  in  In- 
dia and  other  tropical  countries,  where  the  methods 
of  shooting  are  adapted  to  the  jungle,  that  is,  from 
the  backs  of  elephants,  on  foot  on  a  jungle-path, 
by  driving,  beating,  or  sitting  up  over  a  kill.  Here 
in  China  the  animal  must  be  tracked  to  his  cave ; 
and  if  found  in  such  a  position  that  he  cannot  be 
driven  out  to  the  gun,  he  must  be  blocked  in  so  that 
the  sportsman  can  enter  with  comparative  safety. 
Thus,  whereas  in  India  the  excitement  is  generally 


WATER   SCENE   NEAR   AMOY 


CHINESE   JUNK 


TIGER-HUNTING  IN   CHINA        227 

over  in  a  few  seconds,  in  the  cave  shooting  a  sports- 
man is  frequently  kept  at  the  highest  tension  for 
several  hours,  having  located  the  game,  and  while 
still  uncertain  as  to  whether  it  will  charge  out  be- 
fore being  successfully  blocked. 

I  had  had  my  fill  of  the  jungle.  Rains,  flies,  and 
fever  had  convinced  me  that  tiger-shooting  in  the 
tropics  had  its  distinct  disadvantages,  and  had  made 
me  wish  for  a  healthful  country  and  a  respectable 
atmosphere,  where  one  could  enjoy  living  and  shoot- 
ing at  the  same  time  —  a  paradox  in  the  jungle.  I 
was  unwilling  to  return  without  a  tiger;  glowing 
tales  were  told  of  this  cave  district.  Here,  then,  was 
the  very  thing  for  which  I  had  been  waiting. 

It  was  with  the  keenest  anticipation  that  I  finally 
found  myself  rolling  down  the  coast  of  China  to- 
ward Amoy  on  the  little  Haitan.  The  old  Scotch 
engineer  told  me  stories  over  our  pipes  and  coffee  in 
the  evening,  of  lighthouse  keepers  along  the  shore 
watching  the  tigers  play  at  night  on  the  beaches 
below,  and  of  natives  carried  away  from  the  rice- 
fields  within  shouting  distance  of  their  very  villages, 
which  made  me  feel  that  at  last  I  was  in  for  some 
sport.  So,  though  alone,  except  for  my  old  Cin- 
galese servant,  Thomas,  who  had  now  shared  with 
me  many  adventures,  I  was  not  at  all  loth  the  next 
morning  to  transfer  self,  goods,  and  chattels  to  the 


228  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

care  of  a  yellow  pirate  in  a  dilapidated  junk,  and  set 
sail  for  the  shore. 

It  was  a  few  days  later  that  I  found  myself  in  a 
snug  little  village,  Chi  Phaw  by  name,  tucked  away 
at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  with  the  flooded  padi-fields 
skirting  it  on  one  side,  and  to  the  west  a  pagoda- 
crowned  mountain,  towering  like  a  sentinel  above  — 
far  too  peaceful  a  scene  to  suggest  the  sport  on 
which  I  had  come. 

As  the  guest  of  the  village,  in  that  I  was  to  do  my 
little  best  in  ridding  them  of  a  nuisance,  I  was  led  up 
the  central  path  through  a  staring  and  wondering 
crowd  of  peasants,  —  who  were  unaccustomed  to 
seeing  white  men  and  had  no  modesty  about  show- 
ing it,  among  innumerable  black  hogs  enjoying  con- 
tinuous and  undisturbed  slumber  along  the  high-' 
way,  and  past  the  rude  hovels,  within  which  hens, 
babies,  dogs,  and  kittens  sprawled  promiscuously. 
We  came,  at  the  end  of  the  village,  to  a  remarkable 
looking  building  —  a  sort  of  large  shed  with  arched 
roof  and  paved  floor,  with  one  side  opening  to  a 
courtyard  flanked  by  a  ten-foot  wall,  which,  though 
ordinarily  a  temple  sacred  to  the  common  ancestor 
of  the  village,  was  now,  I  learned,  to  be  my  habita- 
tion for  as  long  as  I  cared  to  remain.  It  proved  on 
inspection  to  be  a  very  filthy  lodging :  much  debris 
had  to  be  swept  from  the  floor,  and  several  huge 


TIGER-HUNTING  IN  CHINA        229 

black  spiders  driven  away,  before  I  could  make 
up  my  mind  that  it  was  at  all  habitable.  A  pile  of 
straw  was  then  shaken  down  in  a  corner  for  a 
bed,  and  my  dressing  articles  spread  on  the  altar, 
after  which  the  seven  Chinese  hunter-men,  who 
from  now  on  were  to  be  my  escort,  presented 
themselves. 

They  stood  grinning  in  a  row,  their  almond- 
shaped  eyes  sloping  upwards,  their  yellow  skins 
burnt  to  bronze  from  work  in  the  rice-fields,  and 
wrinkled  like  old  parchment.  With  one  exception 
they  were  under  five  feet  —  hardly  the  imposing 
individuals  I  had  pictured,  who  were  to  walk  into 
the  tiger's  den  with  only  their  torches  to  frighten 
him  and  their  spears  to  stop  a  charge.  Their  wea- 
pons, however,  looked  sufficiently  business-like,  for 
each  carried  a  sort  of  trident  with  three  iron  prongs 
and  a  heavy  wooden  shaft.  They  carried  with  them 
also,  in  a  small  basket,  an  exact  representation  in 
miniature  of  themselves  —  a  little  Chinaman  who 
held  in  his  hand  the  typical  trident,  and  in  the  sand 
which  filled  the  basket  about  him  were  burning 
joss-sticks.  This  I  discovered  was  their  idol,  whom 
they  worshipped  fervently  and  regularly,  and  never 
in  our  subsequent  hunting  were  they  without  him ; 
for,  as  they  told  me,  it  was  he  who  gave  them  their 
courage  to  hunt  and  their  strength  to  fight  the  tiger. 


230  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

As  they  had  promised  in  the  event  of  my  success  to 
take  the  idol  to  see  a  play  on  their  return  to  Amoy, 
it  seemed  certain  that  he  would  grant  their  prayers 
without  delay. 

My  interpreter,  a  young  Chinaman  named  Lim 
Ek  Hui,  who  had  learned  English  at  an  American 
mission  school  in  Foochow,  and  who  proved  in- 
valuable in  communicating  their  directions,  as  well 
as  a  most  interesting  companion  in  discussing  things 
Chinese  during  the  long,  lonely  evenings,  then  ar- 
ranged between  us  the  rate  of  wages,  and  this  mat- 
ter having  been  satisfactorily  decided,  we  repaired 
to  our  respective  suppers  —  I,  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  admiring  throng  in  the  courtyard,  to  knife, 
fork,  and  plate,  they  to  their  chow -bowls  and  chop- 
sticks. The  ten  Chinamen  who  were  to  share  my 
temple  then  stretched  themselves  in  various  posi- 
tions about  the  floor,  lit  their  opium-lamps,  and 
smoked  themselves  into  oblivion,  the  interior 
quickly  becoming  filled  with  the  pungent  but  not 
unpleasant  odor  of  the  drug.  Thomas  found  a  posi- 
tion at  the  other  end  of  the  temple,  as  far  removed 
as  possible  from  the  Chinamen;  while  I,  repairing 
to  my  bale  of  straw,  was  quickly  asleep  amid  these 
novel  surroundings. 

At  dawn  the  courtyard  was  filled  with  the  same 
admiring  crowd  of  the  night  before,  —  men,  wo- 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        231 

men,  and  children, —  who  watched  the  processes 
of  bathing,  dressing,  and  eating  breakfast  much  as 
we  might  observe  the  Wild  Man  of  Borneo  taking 
dinner  at  the  dime  museum.  This  was  embarrassing, 
and  became,  before  many  days,  extremely  irritating, 
though  it  was  a  rather  difficult  matter  effectually 
to  drive  them  away.  The  hunter- men  had  procured 
long,  slender  bamboo  poles  and  were  winding  strips 
of  cloth  about  their  tips,  these  latter  being  dipped 
in  oil  and  serving  as  torches  to  light  up  the  interior 
of  the  caves  which  we  explored.  Then,  after  chow, 
we  started  out  in  single  file,  I  following  the  head 
hunter-man,  quite  ignorant  as  to  where  or  into 
what  he  would  lead  me. 

Knowing  the  lay  of  the  land,  they  had  no  hesita- 
tion in  choosing  at  once  the  most  likely  caves  to 
explore ;  a  tramp  of  some  four  miles  brought  us  up 
into  the  rocky  hills,  and  here  at  last,  with  the  open- 
ings of  caves  and  passages  all  about  us,  I  felt  the 
first  pleasant  realization  that  game  might  be  near. 
The  hunter-men  soon  stopped  above  a  cave  which 
led  directly  down  into  the  earth,  while  one  of  them 
led  me  a  few  yards  down  the  hillside  to  station  me 
at  the  mouth  of  another  opening  below,  Lim  trans- 
lating that  they  were  to  move  through  the  passage 
and  drive  the  tiger,  if  he  were  there,  down  to  the 
exit  which  I  guarded.  They  quickly  oiled  their 


232  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

torches,  shed  their  great  umbrella  hats,  and  dropped 
one  by  one  out  of  sight  into  the  hole. 

Lim  had  had  scruples  about  accompanying  me 
on  the  hunt,  but  protests  that  he  was  indispensa- 
ble and  assurances  of  perfect  safety  had  overruled 
them :  he  was  necessary,  not  only  to  interpret  direc- 
tions, but  to  hold  my  extra  gun  and  pass  it  to  me, 
should  the  two  barrels  of  the  .450  cordite-powder 
express  prove  ineffectual.  I  had  fair  confidence  in 
the  stopping  power  of  the  express,  but  in  case  of 
emergency  thought  it  best  to  take  a  second  gun. 
This  gun,  which  was  a  double-barrelled  lo-bore,  I 
gave  to  Lim,  loaded  but  uncocked,  and  stationing 
him  behind  me  on  a  suitable  rock  a  few  yards  from 
the  cave  opening,  awaited  results. 

Probably  few  forms  of  sport  afford  greater  inter- 
est than  watching  the  opening  of  a  cave,  knowing 
that  at  any  moment  one  or  more  tigers  may  charge 
out,  and  aware  that  if  they  do,  one  must  shoot  both 
instantly  and  accurately.  Under  such  circumstances 
an  ordinary  hole  in  a  hillside  becomes  a  distinctly 
fascinating  object,  as  one  who  has  had  the  expe- 
rience must  realize.  As  Perry  and  Wheeler  a  year 
before  in  the  same  spot  had  seen  four  tigers  break 
cover  simultaneously,  and  as  two  days  later  Perry 
had  found  and  shot  a  fifth  in  another  cave  near  by,  I 
was  sanguine  of  success.  But  there  were  to  be  no 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        233 

results  from  this  day's  work,  nor  indeed  for  many 
days  to  come,  for  the  smoke  of  the  torches  appearing 
through  the  fissures  in  the  rock,  and  the  sound  of  the 
spears  feeling  about  near  the  exit,  told  that  the  men 
had  passed  through  the  passage.  We  explored  sev- 
eral other  caves  before  returning  to  the  village,  but 
to  no  purpose. 

I  now  decided,  and  the  men  agreed  with  me,  that 
this  wholesale  exploration  of  caves  was  a  poor  thing, 
since,  if  a  tiger  should  happen  to  come  to  one  of 
them  later,  the  smell  of  the  torches  would  prevent 
his  entering,  and  he  would  doubtless  at  once  move 
to  some  other  part  of  the  country.  The  animals  are 
continually  roaming  about  and  may  appear  in  a 
certain  district  at  any  time,  so  that  there  is  nothing 
to  do  but  wait.  Accordingly,  in  the  evening  I  pur- 
chased from  a  shepherd  six  small  goats  and  placed 
them  around  the  country  within  a  radius  of  a  mile 
or  so,  attaching  each  before  the  opening  of  some 
promising  cave,  and  as  we  returned  to  camp  we 
could  hear  their  bleating  coming  from  all  directions. 
Should  a  tiger  arrive  within  reach  of  that  sound,  I 
knew  that  we  should  have  something  to  work  on. 

The  next  week  was  a  monotonous  one.  Every 
evening  we  attached  the  goats,  and  every  morning 
at  sunrise  brought  them  back  untouched  to  the  vil- 
lage; these  were  the  only  events  of  the  long,  hot 


234  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

days.  Occasionally  I  crossed  the  hills  to  the  shore 
and  had  a  swim,  or  a  sail  in  some  fisherman's  junk, 
but  most  of  my  time  was  spent  under  a  tree  behind 
the  village,  where  with  a  pipe  and  a  book  I  did  my 
best  to  make  the  days  seem  shorter. 

The  village  life  was  that  of  the  peaceful  peasants 
of  any  country:  at  sunrise  the  men  put  on  their 
great  pagoda-shaped  hats  and  trudged  off  to  the 
rice-fields,  where  they  worked,  knee-deep  in  water, 
till  dark.  The  women  remained  in  their  huts,  spin- 
ning, or  chatted  on  the  paths,  while  their  babies 
made  mud-pies  and  played  with  the  somnolent  hogs. 
Then,  at  sunset,  when  the  men  returned  from  work, 
my  courtyard  became  the  gathering-place  for  the 
evening,  for  the  novelty  of  watching  a  white  man 
eat,  smoke,  and  read  did  not  in  any  wise  seem  to 
pall  upon  them. 

The  hunter-men  were  next  in  importance,  and 
always  held  an  admiring  circle  about  them  as  they 
squatted  over  their  chow.  This  was  a  sort  of  soup, 
brewed  in  a  big  black  kettle,  into  which  any  number 
of  ingredients,  from  shellfish  to  sweet  potatoes,  had 
been  thrown,  and  it  was  eaten  with  some  kind  of  herb 
on  the  side  as  a  relish.  Tiger-hunting  is  nothing  new 
to  them,  as  they  make  it  their  business,  the  profession 
being  handed  down  in  the  same  family  from  father 
to  son.  They  attack  the  tiger  in  his  cave,  killing 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        235 

him  with  their  spears,  and  selling  the  meat,  bones, 
claws,  and  skin  at  a  high  price,  as  the  natives  be- 
lieve the  possession  of  the  claws  or  the  eating  of  the 
meat  gives  them  strength  and  bravery.  The  men 
are  undoubtedly  courageous,  as,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  some  of  them  are  killed  from  time  to 
time,  they  walk  into  the  caves  without  hesitation ; 
and  many  were  the  stories  they  told  through  my 
interpreter,  over  their  opium-pipes  in  the  evenings, 
of  adventures  and  hair-breadth  escapes. 

Bruce  and  Leyburn  are  the  names  most  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  sport  of  tiger-shooting 
in  this  district.  They  were  business  gentlemen  in 
Amoy,  who,  whenever  a  tiger  was  located  by  the 
hunter-men,  would  pick  up  their  guns  from  beneath 
their  office-desks,  come  over  post-haste  to  the  cave 
wherein  the  game  had  been  marked  down,  and 
generally  return  the  same  night  to  their  homes, 
successful.  Leyburn  is  credited  with  over  forty 
tigers. 

This  village,  as  do  all  the  small  towns  of  the 
district,  regarded  itself  as  one  large  family,  being 
descended  from  the  common  ancestor  to  whose 
memory  my  temple  was  built ;  and  so  closely  do  they 
adhere  to  this  idea,  that  intermarriage  is  forbidden 
and  a  man  must  choose  his  wife  from  elsewhere. 
They  are  a  simple,  trusting  lot  and  have  great  faith 


236  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

in  the  medicinal  powers  of  the  white  man.  One 
morning  a  woman  stalked  into  my  temple  on  her 
diminutive  feet,  and  pulled  me  by  the  sleeve  to  her 
house  near  by.  Her  husband  was  lying  groaning  on 
his  straw  bed  and  wooden  pillow,  having  fallen  out 
of  a  tree  and  evidently  hurt  his  spine.  It  was  clear 
that  nothing  more  could  be  done  than  to  ease  the 
pain,  so  I  ordered  hot  water  applied  and  rubbed 
some  salve  on  the  injured  spot.  The  next  morning 
the  woman  returned  and  thanked  me  profusely, 
saying  that  the  pain  had  ceased.  Later,  I  was  called 
in  to  see  a  fever  patient  and  gave  him  a  few  grains 
of  quinine,  for  which  he  appeared  in  person  the  next 
morning  to  thank  me,  evidently  quite  restored  to 
health,  more  by  the  mental  than  by  any  physical 
good  done  him. 

These  were  the  peaceful  surroundings  in  which  I 
found  myself,  and  watched  the  days  pass  slowly  by, 
until  the  first  event  occurred  which  told  me  that 
game  had  arrived  at  last,  and  roused  all  my  energies 
to  bring  the  hunt  to  a  successful  close  as  speedily  as 
possible. 

Two  days  earlier  I  had  moved  to  another  near-by 
village  called  Ki-Lai,  and  was  awakened  at  one  or 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  by  the  loud  barking  of  a 
dog,  which  was  immediately  taken  up  by  all  the  other 
dogs  in  the  village.  This  was  unusual,  as  seldom 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        237 

anything  disturbed  the  silence  of  the  town  at  night ; 
and  I  was  vaguely  wondering  what  could  be  the  mat- 
ter, when  the  men  in  the  temple  were  all  on  their 
feet,  some  running  for  their  spears,  and  others  to 
get  my  gun  out  of  its  case.  In  a  minute  we  were  out 
in  the  village  street  in  the  moonlight,  where  the  dogs 
were  bolting  up  and  down,  barking  furiously  and 
evidently  much  disturbed  at  something,  though  the 
cause  was  not  apparent.  And  just  then  I  distinctly 
saw,  off  in  the  rice-fields,  a  shadowy  form  sneaking 
away  —  a  dog,  perhaps,  or  a  pig,  though  it  looked 
like  something  larger ;  and  though  my  first  impulse 
was  to  follow,  I  saw  at  once  that  it  would  be  useless. 
The  barking  of  the  curs  soon  subsided  and  we  re- 
turned to  the  temple. 

In  the  morning  great  excitement  prevailed  in  the 
courtyard;  the  whole  village  had  apparently  gath- 
ered there  and  were  talking  and  gesticulating  vio- 
lently. Lim  translated  that  a  dog  had  been  taken 
away  in  the  night,  and  that  a  tiger  was  undoubtedly 
about.  The  hunter-men  had  meanwhile  gone  out  to 
inspect  the  goats,  and  returned  with  the  news  that 
one  had  vanished,  the  rope  being  parted  clean  and 
the  animal  having  completely  disappeared  without 
a  sign  of  blood.  I  was  on  the  spot  immediately,  and 
found  the  report  true,  with  no  vestige  of  any  track 
to  work  on.  There  was  nothing  to  do.  To  smoke  up 


238  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

the  caves  by  exploring  them  was  clearly  inadvisable, 
so  we  returned  to  wait  in  patience  till  nightfall.  The 
anticipation  of  sport  near  at  hand  made  that  day 
seem  endless :  the  morning  blazed  wearily  till  tiffin- 
time,  and  the  afternoon  hours  dragged  till  evening. 
Then,  finally,  the  sun  sank,  and  by  seven  o'clock  I 
had  the  five  remaining  goats  at  their  posts,  and,  as 
nothing  more  could  be  done,  prepared  to  sit  up  over 
the  fifth,  which  was  the  loudest  bleater,  in  the  hope 
that  the  tiger  would  pick  him  out  for  his  night's 
kill. 

We  found,  some  five  yards  from  the  goat,  a  suit- 
able rock,  which  shaded  us  from  the  moonlight,  and 
waited,  the  animal  crying  lustily  and  being  an- 
swered continually  by  one  of  the  others  which  was 
within  call.  The  first  hour  or  two  of  this  sitting  up 
was  not  bad,  but  eventually  one's  eyes  became 
strained  from  peering  through  the  moonlight,  and, 
with  the  help  of  a  sharpened  imagination,  pictured 
a  moving  form  in  every  rock  and  shadow.  The  goat 
had  by  this  time  quieted  down,  the  moon  had 
waned,  the  hunter-men  were  fidgeting ;  so  it  seemed 
better  to  give  it  up,  and  silently  and  in  single  file  we 
covered  the  three  miles  to  the  village. 

But  the  discouragement  of  the  evening  was  not  to 
last.  The  men  had  gone  out  to  the  goats  at  sunrise, 
and  I  was  awakened  on  their  return  by  a  tremendous 


A  TYPICAL   TKiER   CAVE 


TIGER   CAVES 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        239 

clamor:  they  were  all  shouting  at  once,  running 
about  the  temple  for  their  spears,  and  preparing  the 
torches  in  a  way  which  looked  like  business.  Lim 
himself  was  so  excited  that  he  could  hardly  translate ; 
but  I  finally  quieted  him  enough  to  learn  the  news : 
all  five  remaining  goats,  including  the  one  by  which 
I  had  sat  up,  had  been  killed,  the  country  around 
was  covered  with  blood-tracks,  and  only  one  head 
and  one  body  had  been  found.  I  vainly  endeavored 
to  repress  a  war-whoop. 

The  preparations  which  ensued  were  such  as 
would  have  convinced  an  observer  that  the  village 
was  about  to  make  a  sally  against  a  hostile  tribe  — 
the  villagers  sharpening  their  knives  to  cut  down  the 
bushes  should  the  tiger  have  to  be  blocked  in  his 
cave ;  the  hunter-men  arranging  the  torches  and  get- 
ting the  oil ;  and  the  sportsman  making  sure  for  the 
fifteenth  time  that  his  gun-barrels  were  spotless  and 
his  cartridges  in  pockets  quickly  accessible. 

At  eight  we  were  on  the  spot  where  I  had  kept 
watch  the  night  before.  The  string  which  tied  the 
goat  had  been  cut  off  short,  and  at  a  distance  of  ten 
yards  was  the  head  of  the  animal,  torn  roughly  from 
the  body.  The  men  then  brought  up  for  my  inspec- 
tion the  body  of  still  another  goat,  untouched  except 
for  two  distinct  tooth-marks  in  the  neck,  made  as 
cleanly  as  though  by  a  vampire.  This  was  excellent 


240  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

news,  for  the  tiger  had  clearly  killed  more  than  he 
could  eat,  and  must  have  retired  for  the  day  to  some 
cave  near  by  to  sleep  off  his  gorge.  But  actually  to 
track  him  to  his  lair  was  no  easy  matter,  for  the 
trails  of  blood  which  led  in  several  directions  were 
quickly  lost  in  the  low  scrub,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
we  had  to  abandon  the  idea.  To  search  all  the  large 
caves  in  the  vicinity  and  to  trust  to  fortune  to  find 
him  seemed  the  only  thing  to  do. 

Then  followed  a  scene  which,  under  the  circum- 
stances, was  thoroughly  amusing,  though  at  that 
time  I  was  too  impatient  at  the  delay  to  appreciate 
it.  The  hunter-men  set  the  idol,  which,  as  I  have 
said,  they  invariably  carried  with  them  while  hunt- 
ing, on  a  rock,  and  gathering  about  it  they  lighted 
joss-sticks  and  proceeded  to  worship  in  the  usual 
manner :  clasping  their  hands,  waving  the  joss-sticks 
three  times  up  and  down,  and  then  placing  them  in 
the  sand  before  the  image.  This  done,  they  asked 
the  idol  if  the  tiger  was  in  a  certain  cave  which 
opened  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us,  at  the  same 
moment  throwing  up  two  pieces  of  wood,  each  with 
one  smooth  and  one  rough  side.  Should  they  come 
down  even,  the  answer  would  be  affirmative ;  if  odd, 
negative.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  blood-trails 
all  seemed  to  lead  in  other  directions,  the  answer, 
mirabile  dictu,  was  "yes."  The  men  immediately 


THE   RETURN  TO  THE 


IGE   AFTKR   TIGER   HUNT 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        241 

picked  up  their  spears  and  ran  down  hill  to  the  cave, 
which,  like  most  of  them,  was  formed  of  immense 
boulders,  opening  by  a  crevice  running  straight 
downward.  Then,  stationing  me  at  its  mouth,  with 
warnings  to  be  ready,  they  entered. 

Five  minutes  passed.  A  hunter  reappeared  and 
said  something  which  caused  the  crowd  of  villagers 
who  had  approached  to  scramble  back  up  the  hill- 
side ;  Lim's  eyes  bulged  as  he  whispered  excitedly : 
"Get  ready,  master,  tiger  inside." 

The  sport  was  now  on  in  earnest.  Bulletins  were 
announced  at  regular  intervals  from  below :  at  first 
they  could  see  but  one  paw  of  the  animal,  then 
he  moved  and  showed  himself  in  full  —  "  very  large 
tiger,"  Lim  translated.  They  were  trying  to  drive 
him  out;  he  might  charge  from  any  one  of  three 
openings,  and  I  was  to  watch  them  all  carefully, 
for  it  would  be  quick  shooting.  A  half  hour  passed. 
Then  came  up  the  announcement  that  he  had  got 
into  a  small  passage  and  could  not  be  driven  out ; 
they  would  block  him  in,  after  which  I  must  enter. 
The  villagers  immediately  set  to  work  gathering 
bushes,  which  they  bound  together  and  threw  down 
to  the  opening,  while  the  hunters  came  to  the  cave's 
mouth  and  dragged  them  in.  They  worked  quickly 
and  quietly,  but  with  a  subdued  excitement  which 
kept  my  interest  at  highest  pitch.  My  finger  was 


242  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

on  the  trigger  for  four  hours,  nor  did  I  dare  take  my 
eyes  from  the  openings  during  this  entire  time,  for 
the  men  had  cautioned  me  that,  until  finally  blocked, 
the  tiger  might  charge  out  at  any  moment. 

It  was  past  midday  when  the  seven  men  emerged 
and  beckoned  me  to  enter.  I  slipped  down  into  the 
crevice,  landing  in  a  sort  of  small  chamber,  which 
was  partially  lighted  by  the  torches,  though  my 
eyes,  fresh  from  the  sunlight,  could  not  see  where  it 
led.  They  directed  me  to  one  side,  and  pointed  to  a 
narrow  shelf  or  ledge,  from  which  a  hole  seemed  to 
lead  straight  into  the  face  of  the  rock;  Lim,  who 
was  behind  me,  translating  that  I  was  to  crawl  into 
it  until  I  came  to  the  tiger.  This  did  not  sound 
reassuring,  but  knowing  that  the  men  were  trust- 
worthy and  would  not  send  me  into  a  risky  position, 
I  scrambled  quickly  in,  dragging  the  express  behind, 
as  I  was  too  cramped  by  the  smallness  of  the  hole 
to  carry  it  with  me. 

One  of  the  men  held  his  spear  ahead  in  the  pas- 
sage, though  he  himself  stood  behind.  I  crawled 
slowly  in  for  some  ten  feet ;  it  was  quite  dark  and  I 
was  ignorant  as  to  where  the  animal  was,  or  how 
the  hole  ended.  Then  there  was  a  loud  "  aughr-r-r" 
within  a  few  feet  of  my  face,  and  I  knew  by  the 
sound  that  the  tiger  was  in  another  cavern  into 
which  my  passage  opened.  It  appeared  that  the 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        243 

latter  broke  off  and  turned  abruptly  downwards.  My 
eyes  were  now  becoming  used  to  the  darkness,  and 
by  the  light  of  the  torches  which  had  been  thrust 
into  the  tiger's  cavern  through  the  chinks  in  the 
rock  I  could  see  him  in  full.  He  lay  on  a  ledge  of 
rock,  facing  me,  his  green  eyes  shining  and  blinking 
sleepily  in  the  light,  his  great  striped  back  moving 
up  and  down  as  he  panted  from  fright  and  anger. 
His  face  was  not  four  feet  from  mine  when  I  had 
come  to  the  end  of  the  passage ;  but  there  was  little 
danger,  since  he  was  too  much  cowed  by  the  light  to 
charge,  and  had  he  done  so,  my  opening  was  too 
small  for  him  to  enter.  Had  he  tried  to  get  at  me 
by  tearing  away  the  stones  at  the  mouth  of  my  pas- 
sage, he  could  have  been  warded  off  with  the  barrel 
of  the  express. 

I  lay  full  five  minutes  watching  him.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  I  moved  the  express  slowly  into 
position,  being  badly  cramped;  the  tiger  snarled 
angrily  as  he  saw  the  barrel  approaching,  and  drew 
back  restlessly,  still  roaring.  This  was  not  pleasant 
to  hear.  I  then  fired,  without  being  able  to  see  the 
sights,  but  trusting  to  hit  a  vital  spot.  In  the  dark- 
ness which  immediately  ensued,  —  for  the  torches 
had  been  extinguished  by  the  report,  —  it  was  im- 
possible to  tell  what  he  would  do,  though  he  could 
be  heard  roaring  and  leaping  around  his  cavern. 


244  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

The  hunter-men  were  in  a  frenzy  of  excitement 
behind  and  were  calling  me  loudly  to  come  out, 
though,  as  I  was  firmly  wedged  in  the  passage,  this 
for  the  moment  was  a  physical  impossibility.  I  then 
fired  two  more  shots,  the  tiger  lay  panting,  and 
was  still. 

Once  in  the  open,  it  was  evident  for  the  first  time 
at  what  high  tension  my  nerves  had  been  kept  dur- 
ing the  four  hours  of  watching.  In  another  hour 
we  had  dragged  the  tiger  up  to  the  mouth  of  the 
cave,  which,  owing  to  the  big  rocks  which  had  to  be 
replaced  before  we  could  get  at  his  cavern,  was  no 
easy  matter,  photographed  him,  and  then  carried 
him  suspended  from  a  pole  to  the  village,  while  the 
peasants  ran  alongside,  laughing,  shouting,  and  gen- 
erally showing  their  delight. 

I  skinned  the  body  on  a  flat  rock  in  the  village, 
found  to  my  satisfaction  that  the  pelt  measured  ten 
feet  six  inches  from  nose  to  tip  of  tail,  which  the 
hunter-men  said  was  a  record,  though  I  have  no 
means  of  verifying  this  assertion,  and  then  adjourned 
to  the  temple,  where  a  feast  of  triumph  and  tiger- 
meat  was  held  throughout  the  evening.  Indeed, 
within  two  hours  of  the  shooting  the  meat  was  be- 
ing sold  in  the  village  streets  and  voraciously  eaten 
by  the  peasants. 

This  ended  my  tiger-shooting.  With  the  prospect 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN   CHINA        245 

of  a  visit  to  Japan  before  returning  to  America,  and 
realizing  that  I  might  stay  for  weeks  in  this  region 
without  having  the  fortune  to  find  another  tiger,  it 
seemed  unwise  to  remain  longer.  The  following 
morning  I  returned  to  Amoy,  where  the  skin  was 
thoroughly  coated  with  alum  and  rolled  up  to  be 
taken  to  Hongkong.  The  Englishmen  at  the  club 
were  so  fired  with  enthusiasm  at  my  luck  that  they 
forthwith  began  to  plan  trips  for  themselves,  and  I 
do  not  doubt  that  several  eventually  went  to  the 
village  which  I  had  just  left. 

Unfortunately  it  was  two  days  before  I  could  get 
away  from  Amoy.  A  typhoon  came  up  the  coast 
and  burst  on  the  town  with  full  violence,  preceded 
by  that  black  silence  which  seems  to  me  the  most 
terrifying  of  natural  phenomena.  No  steamers 
would  put  out,  while  some  twenty  ships  entered  the 
harbor  for  refuge.  When  finally  I  did  get  away,  it 
was  on  a  little  tub  called  the  Thales,  whose  passen- 
ger-list was  composed  of  ninety-three  Chinese  and 
myself,  to  say  nothing  of  the  live  stock  on  board  in 
the  shape  of  a  full  complement  of  fleas,  cockroaches, 
and  rats.  Stopping  at  Swatow,  and  arriving  at  Hong- 
kong two  days  later,  I  had  the  tiger-skin  cured  at 
the  Museum.  The  claws,  which  inadvertently  had 
been  left  on  my  hotel  window-sill  to  dry,  were  all 
stolen  by  the  room-boy,  except  two  which  I  fortu- 


246  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

nately  had  placed  elsewhere.  The  skin  was  well 
prepared  on  my  return  to  America,  and  now  lies 
before  the  fireplace  as  a  pleasant  reminder  of  an 
interesting  hunt,  the  head  being  mounted  on  the 
rug  with  an  expression  of  such  ferocity  as  to  seem 
scarcely  true  to  life. 

I  had  planned  to  leave  Hongkong  almost  imme- 
diately, but  the  hospitality  of  some  old  friends  in 
the  Royal  Artillery  Mess  at  Kowloon,  combined 
with  many  picnics,  bathing-parties,  tennis  after- 
noons, and  dinners,  so  far  upset  my  plans  that  it 
was  not  until  the  2ist  of  October  that  I  finally  de- 
parted. Taking  leave  of  old  Thomas,  whom  after 
his  many  months  of  faithful  service  I  was  sending 
back  to  Ceylon,  I  sailed  on  the  Empress  of  China ; 
and  moving  out  of  Hongkong's  graceful  harbor  by 
the  Lyeemoon  Pass,  where  C.,  of  the  India,  was  on 
the  bluff  before  his  mess,  waving  flags  and  setting 
off  fire-crackers  as  a  parting  salute,  we  turned  out 
into  the  China  Sea  toward  Shanghai,  Nagasaki, 
Kobe,  and  Yokohama.  These  splendid  "Empress" 
ships,  with  their  graceful  curving  lines,  cutter-bows, 
pure  white  hulls,  pink  water-lines,  and  yellow  fun- 
nels, are  among  the  finest  in  the  East,  and  before 
the  end  of  my  travels  I  was  to  know  them  well. 

Up  to  Shanghai  the  sea  was  very  rough  and  the 
air  chilly.  There  would  be  no  more  soft  sunny  skies, 


TIGER-HUNTING   IN    CHINA      247 

calm  seas  with  flying-fish  racing  over  them,  and  glo- 
rious sunrises  and  sunsets  turning  them  to  red  and 
burnished  gold,  no  more  Southern  Cross,  nor  tropic 
nights  of  unimagined  brilliancy;  all  these  I  was 
leaving  behind  with  the  tropics;  and  whether  the 
exhilaration  of  a  brisker  atmosphere  could  make  up 
for  them  all,  I  doubted.  At  daylight  on  the  24th 
we  reached  the  harbor  of  Woosung,  gay  with  an 
assemblage  of  four  big  Pacific  mail-steamers ;  and 
at  nine  o'clock  started  in  a  fast  launch  to  cover  the 
thirteen  miles  to  Shanghai,  which  lies  well  back 
from  the  navigable  sea,  reaching  the  Bund  at  eleven, 
and  passing  the  day  in  that  interesting  city. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  we  steamed  into 
the  harbor  of  Nagasaki,  the  sun  just  showing  above 
the  little  wooded  hills  which  hem  it  in,  and  raising 
the  mist  from  the  dull  gray  roofs  of  the  town.  On 
anchoring,  we  were  surrounded  by  coal-scows,  and 
began  coaling  by  the  method  for  which  Nagasaki  is 
noted  :  wooden  staging  is  placed  up  the  vessel's  sides, 
and  standing  on  this,  little  Japanese  girls  pass  up 
the  coal  in  small  baskets  with  such  speed  that  sev- 
eral thousands  of  tons  of  coal  are  loaded  in  a  few 
hours.  Their  dexterity  and  team-work  are  indeed 
most  interesting  to  watch. 

Rowing  ashore  after  breakfast,  we  took  a  long 
rickshaw  ride  across  the  hills,  to  a  tiny  fishing  vil- 


248  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

lage  called  Mogi,  on  the  other  side  of  the  island, 
where  a  pleasant  spot  was  found  on  the  shore  look- 
ing out  to  the  inland  sea,  and  tiffin  served  al  fresco 
by  two  little  Japanese  girls,  the  surroundings  look- 
ing as  though  they  had  been  taken  from  a  Japanese 
screen  and  enlarged  to  life-size.  The  ride  back  was 
through  a  green  valley  and  over  a  hill,  with  many 
tea-houses  and  little  gray  villages,  where  the  people 
laughed  as  we  clattered  through,  and  the  children 
laughed  when  we  nearly  ran  over  them,  and  even 
the  babies  laughed  in  their  mothers'  arms  —  alto- 
gether a  very  merry  country. 

On  the  following  day  the  ship  passed  through  the 
Inland  Sea,  very  beautiful  with  its  high  wooded 
shores,  numberless  islands,  villages,  and  fishing- 
boats  in  all  directions,  stopping  the  next  morning  at 
Kobe,  an  uninteresting  commercial  city,  and  so  on 
up  the  coast  to  Yokohama. 

A  month  is  of  course  all  too  short  a  time  to  spend 
in  Japan,  especially  when  one  finds  there  hosts  of 
friends  from  home  and  is  naturally  tempted  from 
the  conscientious  path  of  sight-seeing.  The  chrys- 
anthemum season  in  Tokyo  was,  furthermore,  at  its 
height ;  and  with  the  imperial  garden-party,  the  re- 
view of  troops  by  the  Emperor,  the  state  ball,  and 
many  a  dinner  and  dance  aboard  the  foreign  war- 
ships in  Yokohama  harbor,  I  found  the  time  pass 


TIGER-HUNTING  IN    CHINA        249 

as  pleasantly,  if  not  so  instructively,  as  if  it  had  been 
spent  seeing  temples  in  the  interior.  A  week  in  Mi- 
yanoshita,  with  a  trip  to  Lake  Hakone,  then  down 
to  Kioto,  where  Nara  and  Lake  Biwa  were  visited, 
and  so  through  the  island  to  Osaka  and  Kobe, 
whence  ship  was  taken  back  to  Yokohama,  com- 
prised my  travels  in  that  delightful  country. 

Alas  for  the  traveller,  the  old  Japan,  with  the 
steady  progression  of  a  new  era,  is,  in  the  coast  cities 
at  least,  rapidly  giving  way  to  western  ideas,  west- 
ern customs,  and  western  architecture ;  her  gardens 
of  cherry-blossoms  and  wistaria,  her  spotless  houses 
of  straw  mats  and  sliding  screens,  her  bowing,  laugh- 
ing, gay-kimonoed  people  remain ;  but,  mixed  with 
a  prosaic  assortment  of  European  hotels,  European 
stores,  and  European  dress,  their  peculiar  fascina- 
tion and  picturesqueness  necessarily  must  suffer. 
In  Tokyo  I  searched  out  a  Japanese  hotel,  where  I 
was  smilingly  assigned  a  room  by  the  proprietor. 
Leaving  one's  shoes  at  the  door,  one  ascends  care- 
fully polished  stairs  in  straw  slippers;  but  at  the 
first  floor  even  these  must  be  discarded,  for  the  car- 
pet is  the  cleanest  of  straw-mattings  in  double  thick- 
ness, into  which  one  sinks  as  in  velvet.  One's  room 
is  like  a  cardboard  box,  built  of  sliding  screens  and 
bare  of  furniture,  save  for  a  mat  to  sit  on  and  a  little 
dressing-table  placed  on  the  floor  before  which  one 


250  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

has  to  kneel  to  tie  one's  tie.  The  impression  one 
receives  is  of  absolute  spotlessness  and  freshness  — 
not  an  atom  of  dust  anywhere.  Apparently  there  is 
no  bed  or  bedding ;  but  when  night  conies,  the  cham- 
bermaid enters,  prostrates  herself  before  you,  and, 
pulling  aside  one  of  the  screens  of  which  the  walls 
are  formed,  discloses  two  great  silk  comforters  and 
a  pillow  stuffed  with  rice,  which  are  promptly  spread 
on  the  floor.  A  brazier  with  coals  is  placed  beside  it 
and  you  are  ready  for  the  night.  The  Japanese  bath, 
of  all  institutions  in  this  immaculate  country,  is  the 
most  important.  But  there  is  only  one  tank  for  all, 
and  one  must  not  expect  privacy ;  simply  a  screen 
separates  it  from  the  hall,  and  the  girl  who  brings  the 
towels  does  not  knock.  Accordingly,  being  a  philis- 
tine  to  the  customs  of  the  country,  it  was  not  sur- 
prising that  the  sound  of  the  little  lady's  approach 
at  a  moment  when  I  was  fully  expecting  privacy 
caused  me  something  of  a  shock.  The  only  effectual 
method  of  concealment  seemed  to  be  to  retire  to  the 
depths  of  the  tub,  which  I  did  without  delay,  land- 
ing in  water  considerably  over  100  degrees  Fahren- 
heit. The  result  was  successful,  for  my  expressions 
were  so  vociferous  and  full  of  energy  that  the  girl 
was  completely  terrified  and  took  to  her  heels,  leav- 
ing me  to  perform  my  further  ablutions  in  undis- 
turbed contentment. 


THE  HARBOR  OF  AMOY 


SAMPANS 


TIGER-HUNTING  IN    CHINA        251 

With  the  coming  of  western  innovations  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  inherent  politeness  of  the  people, 
above  all,  will  suffer  no  detraction.  When  you  are 
presented  to  a  Japanese,  he  bows  to  the  ground  and 
continues  bowing  at  every  remark  you  address  to 
him ;  a  conversation  opens  with  several  compliments 
on  each  side,  with  accompanying  bows.  The  waiter 
bows  when  he  hands  you  the  menu,  bows  when  he 
takes  your  order,  and  again  when  he  sets  the  dish 
before  you ;  and  when  you  leave  the  room  the  last 
glimpse  you  get  gives  you  the  impression  that  he 
has  been  wound  up  like  a  mechanical  toy  and  will 
continue  bowing  until  he  runs  down.  When  I  left 
the  Japanese  hotel  at  which  I  was  stopping  in 
Tokyo,  not  only  the  proprietor  and  the  clerks,  but 
all  the  chambermaids  as  well,  were  prostrated 
on  the  threshold;  and  not  with  the  usual  idea  of 
begging  a  present  but  in  thanks  for  the  very  small 
tip  I  had  given  — a  polite  country,  indeed. 

The  imperial  chrysanthemum  garden-party,  for 
which  our  Minister  had,  among  many  other  cour- 
tesies, obtained  invitations  for  us,  was  an  event  of 
the  greatest  interest.  With  a  stream  of  people  we 
entered  the  big  Osaka  Park,  where  the  path  wound 
through  the  woods,  all  turned  to  brilliant  autumnal 
colors,  past  miniature  lakes  and  over  bridges,  with 
little  summer-houses  here  and  there,  till  it  opened 


252  SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 

on  the  lawn  around  which  ran  the  stands  containing 
the  splendid  exhibition  of  imperial  chrysanthemums. 
The  Japanese  aim  rather  at  cultivating  the  whole 
plant  than  the  individual  flower,  the  date  of  the 
garden-party  being  left  indefinite  until  the  last  mo- 
ment, so  that  the  plants  may  be  at  their  best.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  effects  they  secure, 
and  I  can  only  say  that  finer  combinations  of  shape, 
size,  and  color  would  be  impossible  to  find,  the  world 
over.  One  stalk  alone  bore  one  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  fifty  blossoms,  most  of  them  in  full  bloom, 
while  two  others  had  over  one  thousand.  The  Em- 
peror was  absent,  but  at  three  o'clock,  to  the  solemn 
music  of  the  Japanese  hymn,  the  Empress  entered 
and  walked  down  the  aisle  that  had  been  cleared, 
the  women  curtsying  and  the  men  bowing  to  the 
very  ground. 

A  day  or  two  before  our  departure  a  dance  was 
held  on  the  U.  S.  S.  Oregon  in  Yokohama  harbor. 
The  scene  at  sunset  I  shall  not  soon  forget:  Fuji, 
beautiful,  solitary  old  Fuji,  stood  out  against  the 
red  glow  in  the  west,  the  big  British,  French,  Italian, 
Japanese,  and  American  warships  vaguely  defined 
in  the  harbor's  purple  haze,  while  every  man  on 
board  faced  aft  as  the  flag  was  lowered  to  the  music 
of  our  national  hymn. 

At  six  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  November  26, 


TIGER-HUNTING  IN   CHINA        253 

from  the  deck  of  the  Empress  of  India,  we  watched 
the  lights  of  Yokohama  twinkle  in  the  rain,  and 
one  by  one  disappear.  Plunging  at  once  into  rough 
seas,  and  encountering  continual  storms,  we  emerged 
at  Vancouver  thirteen  days  later,  whence,  taking 
the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  across  the  continent, 
I  descended  on  December  15  from  the  train,  in 
Boston. 


INDEX 


Aden,  aspect,  13. 

Agra,  journey  to,  56  ;  Mogul  rulers 

and  architecture,  57-65. 
Agriculture  in  Baltistan,  135. 
Ahmed,  author's  cook,  30. 
Aitken,  Lieut.  R.  H.  M.,  at  relief  of 

Lucknow,  82. 
Akbar  the  Great,  57  ;  character,  58 ; 

fort  and  palace,  58-62  ;  tomb,  61. 
Amber,    Rajputana,  excursion  to, 

54-56. 
Amoy,  tiger-hunting  near,  20,  226- 

245 ;  typhoon,  245. 
Amusements,     Maori,      106-108  ; 

Balti,  137,  140. 

Antelope,  Tibetan,  in  Kashmir,  120. 
Apricots  of  Kashmir,  136,  138. 
Arabian  Sea,  passage,  13. 
Arabs,  as  coal-loaders,  9 ;  chant,  10. 
Architecture,  Mogul  mosques  and 

tombs,  57-65. 
Arnold,  Lieut.  N.  H.,  at  relief  of 

Lucknow,  80. 
Art,  Canton   industries,  222.     See 

also  Architecture. 
Astore,  Kashmir,  trail  from  Indus, 

177, 179-181 ;  town  and  fort,  181; 

road  to  Srinagar,  183. 
Australia,  steamship,  109. 

Bahar    Shah,  Srinagar    merchant, 

1 1 8,  205,  206. 

Balochi,  Kashmir  village,  168, 177. 
Baltal,  Kashmir  village,  129. 


Baltistan,  travel  to,  from  Srinagar, 
119,  121-145;  as  game  region, 
120;  topography  and  scenery, 
134,  168,  172,  178,  179,  184-187; 
villages  and  agriculture,  135,  142; 
inhabitants,  136  ;  polo,  137  ; 
treatment  of  travellers,  138,  140- 
142, 182;  food,  138,  141,143,178; 
rope-bridges,  139;  celebrating  a 
polo  victory,  140;  rajahs,  140- 
142,  160-164;  ibex-stalking,  147- 
156 ;  reception  of  supposed  great 
man,  158-165;  trails,  166,  176; 
markhor-stalking,  169-172;  shar- 
pu-stalking,  180,  185,  187-189; 
cattle-shed,  180 ;  road  from  As- 
tore to  Srinagar,  183,  189-191. 

Bandipur,  Kashmir  town,  191. 

Banknotes,  transportation  in  Kash- 
mir, 182. 

Baramulla,  Kashmir  village,  114. 

Barang,  42. 

Basha  River  and  valley,  145-147. 

Bathing,  on  board  P.  and  O.  steam- 
ship, 12;  ghats  at  Bengal,  84; 
in  Japan,  250. 

Bear,  red,  in  Kashmir,  120;  stalk- 
ing of  black,  193-195  ;  honking 
of  black,  196-203. 

Beggars  at  Benares,  89. 

Benares,  as  holy  city,  83 ;  bathing 
ghats,  84;  burning  ghats,  85; 
palaces,  86;  streets  and  filth, 
86-90  j  beggars,  89  ;  hotels,  89. 


256 


INDEX 


Bengal,  Bay  of,  aspect,  17. 

Bhalu,  198. 

Boar-hunting  in  Perak,  35. 

Bombay,  smell,  18;  aspect,  48,  51 ; 
Towers  of  Silence,  48,  49;  Par- 
sees,  49-51. 

Brahminism,  Benares  as  holy  city, 
83-90. 

Bridges,  rope,  of  Kashmir,  139. 

British  India  S.  S.  Co.,  212,  218. 

British  Residents  in  interior  of  Ma- 
lay Peninsula,  34. 

British  Straits  Settlements,  25. 

Bruce,  Amoy  sportsman,  235. 

Buddhism,  Benares  as  holy  city, 
83;  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  215- 
217. 

Bullock-cart,  travel  by,  29. 

Bundobust,  122. 

Burhel  in  Kashmir,  1 20. 

Burma,  Rangoon,  212-217  !  charac- 
teristics of  inhabitants,  212-214; 
Mandalay,  217;  drama,  218. 

Burzil  River,  190. 

Calcutta,  smell,  18;  climate,  in; 
Fort  William,  210. 

Campbell,  Sir  Colon,  relief  of 
Lucknow,  82. 

Canning,  Fort,  at  Singapore,  20. 

Canton,  smells,  220;  aspect  of 
alleys,  221;  art  industries,  222; 
temples,  222  ;  execution  ground, 
223 ;  prison,  223  ;  court  of  jus- 
tice, 224;  Examination  Hall, 
224. 

Capri,  steamship,  21. 

Cattle-shed  in  Kashmir,  180. 

Cawnpore,  memorials,  66 ;  siege 
and  massacre,  67-74  5  present 
aspect,  74. 


Ceylon,  Colombo,  14-17 ;  inland 
points,  17. 

Chakothi,  Kashmir  village,  207. 

Chap  Us,  1 1 8,  126. 

Chi  Phaw,  Chinese  village,  228. 

China,  Hongkong,  219,  246;  Can- 
ton, 220-225;  customs,  220 ;  civil- 
service  examination,  224;  tiger- 
hunting  near  Amoy,  225-246 ; 
village  in  tiger  country,  228,  234, 
235;  curiosity  of  natives,  230, 
234I  g°d  °f  tiger  hunters,  229, 
240. 

Chinese  in  Malay  Peninsula,  25, 39. 

Chits,  119. 

Chota-hazri,  52. 

Chota-shikaris,  125. 

Chow,  231. 

Chowkidar,  115. 

Chugam,  Kashmir  village,  186. 

Chupatties,  143. 

Chusan,  steamship,  17. 

Cigar,  Burmese,  213. 

Civil  service,  examination  in  China, 
224. 

Climate,  of  Suez  Canal,  5,  9,  n  ; 
of  Red  Sea,  1 1  ;  of  Arabian  Sea, 
13 ;  rain  in  Malay  Peninsula,  23, 
32,  38,  44;  of  India,  52,  m;  of 
Kashmir,  191 ;  typhoon  at  Amoy, 

245- 

Coaling,  at  Port  Said,  9 ;  at  Naga- 
saki, 247. 

Colombo,  Ceylon,  smell,  14 ;  ap- 
proach, 14;  aspect,  15-17. 

Coolies,  Kashmir,  122,  125;  cost, 
133  ;  feast  after  successful  hunt, 

156,  157- 

Court,  Canton,  224. 
Cum,  Chinese  guide,  220,  222. 
Curtis,  W.  E.,  on  Taj  Mahal,  64. 


INDEX 


257 


Dards  and  Baltis,  137. 

Delafosse,   Lieut.    H.  G.,   escape 

from  Cawnpore,  72. 
Devil's  Porridge  Pot,  near  Rotonia, 

99- 

Ditchil  Nullah,  Kashmir,  179. 

Doongas,  1 1 6. 

Drama,  Burmese,  218. 

Dras,  Kashmir  village,  133. 

Dress,  evening,  on  P.  and  O.  steam- 
ship, 3;  Balti,  136;  Burmese, 
212. 

Edward  VII.,  proclaimed  Emperor 
at  Lucknow,  75. 

Ekkas,  112. 

Elephants,  travel  by,  33,  36-39; 
antics  of  baby,  36-38 ;  leeches, 
40;  piling  teak,  214. 

Empress  of  China,  steamship,  246. 

Empress  of  India,  steamship,  253. 

Etiquette,  Balti,  141  ;  table,  in 
Kashmir,  206 ;  Japanese  polite- 
ness, 251. 

Execution -ground  in  Canton,  223. 

Federated  Malay  States,  24.  See 
also  Malay  Peninsula. 

Fee,  W.  T.,  acknowledgment  to, 
52. 

Flood  in  Kashmir,  195,  204. 

Flowers,  roses  in  Kashmir,  178, 
187,  196;  chrysanthemums  in 
Japan,  251. 

Food,  in  Baltistan,  138,  141,  143, 
178;  Kashmir  table  etiquette, 
206. 

Funeral,  Parsee  Towers  of  Silence, 
48,  49;  burning  ghats  of  Be- 
nares, 85;  Burmese,  213. 

Furrow-irrigation  in  Baltistan,  135. 


Gajak,  38. 

Gam  wallah,  193. 

Ganges  River,  at  Benares,  83-86. 

Gates  of  Hell,  near  Rotorua,  100. 

Gazelle,  in  Kashmir,  120. 

Geysers  of  New  Zealand,  Waimun- 
gu,  91-98  ;  Whakarewarewa, 
10 1 ;  eruption  caused  by  soap, 
102. 

God  of  Chinese  tiger  hunters,  229, 
240. 

Goond,  Kashmir  village,  128. 

Gorai,  Kashmir  village,  190. 

Grady,  Sergeant,  killed  at  Cawn- 
pore, 72,  73. 

Grand  Oriental    Hotel,   Colombo, 

17- 

Grass-shoe  of  Kashmir,  129. 
Grik,  Perak  town,  39. 
Gurais,  Kashmir  village,  190. 
Gwalior,  steamship,  212. 

"  Ha  Kanaka  Tamahine,"  106-108. 
Haitan,  steamship,  227. 
Haka  war  dance,  104. 
Hamurana   Spring,  New  Zealand, 

101. 
Haramosh    range,   Kashmir,    168, 

172. 

Harpu,  Kashmir  village,  167. 
Havelock,    Sir    Henry,  march    to 

Cawnpore,  71  ;  relief   of   Luck- 
now,  78-82. 
Havelock,  Lieut.  H.  M.,  at  relief  of 

Lucknow,  80. 
Heat,  of  Suez  Canal,  5,  9,  1 1 ;  of 

India,  in. 

Heavenly  Twins,  mud  springs,  99. 
Hilbu,  Kashmir  village,  167,  172. 
Hindu  worship,  Benares   as   holy 

city,  83-90. 


INDEX 


Hongkong,  aspect  of  harbor,  219; 
club,  219;  hospitality,  246. 

Hooghli  River,  210. 

Hot  springs  at  and  near  Roto  ma, 
98,  99,  103. 

Hotels,  Grand  Oriental  of  Colom- 
bo, 17 ;  Raffles',  at  Singapore,  19 ; 
rest-houses  in  Malay  Peninsula, 
30;  at  Benares,  89;  Japanese, 
249-251. 

House-boats  at  Srinagar,  117. 

Hunting,  various  plans  of  author, 
20,  21  ;  in  interior  of  Malay  Pe- 
ninsula, 22,  29,  31,  40,  41,  43; 
boar,  in  Perak,  35;  tiger,  in 
Johore,  45  ;  outfit  and  prepara- 
tion for,  in  Kashmir,  113,  117- 
119,  126,  127,  129;  game  in 
Kashmir,  120;  control  of  a  nul- 
lah in  Kashmir,  123,  145,  146; 
personnel  of  outfit,  125, 142-145; 
ibex-stalking,  147-156;  mail 
days,  165 ;  preparation  of  speci- 
mens, 1 66,  206,  245 ;  markhor- 
stalking,  169-172;  characteris- 
tics of  Kashmir  shikaris,  172- 
176,  184,  187,  190;  sharpu-stalk- 
ing,  180,  185-189;  black  bear 
stalking  and  honking,  193-203; 
Chinese  cave-dwelling  tigers,  226, 
227  ;  Chinese  tiger  hunters,  229, 
234;  hunting  of  Chinese  tiger, 
231-233,  236-245. 

ffuzur,  174. 

Ibex,  in  Kashmir,  120;  stalking, 
147-156. 

Ibrahim  ben  Ishmail,  39. 

India,  travel  from  Bombay  to  Be- 
nares, 47-90;  climate,  52,  in; 
Mutiny,  66-82  ;  variety  in  cities, 


83;  Calcutta,  no,  in,  210; 
travel  to  Kashmir,  111-115  ;  Per* 
sonal  servants,  211;  punkas,  211. 
See  also  Kashmir. 

India,  steamship,  voyage  on,  1-17. 

Indian  Mutiny,  siege  and  massacre 
of  Cawnpore,  67-74 ;  siege  of 
Lucknow,  76-82. 

Indus  River,  rope-bridge  in  Kash- 
mir, 139;  trail,  1 66,  176. 

Inglis,  Sir  J.  E.  W.,  at  Lucknow, 

77- 

Inland  Sea  of  Japan,  248. 
Isis,  P.  and  O.  steamship,  10. 
Sstana,  28. 
Itimad-ud-Daulah,  tomb,  62. 

Jacques,    Corporal,    at    relief    of 

Lucknow,  80. 
Jaipore,   climate,    52;   aspect,   53, 

54 ;  wall,  55. 
James  Anthony,  author's  servant, 

56. 

Janing,  Perak  town,  32,  33. 
Japan,  travel  in,  247-252;  influence 

of  western  ideas,  249 ;  hotel,  249  ; 

bathing,   250;    politeness,    251; 

imperial  chrysanthemum  garden- 
party,  251. 
Jehanghir,    reign,    57 ;     and    the 

Kohinoor,  61. 

Jenolan  Caves,  Australia,  109. 
Jhelum  River  in  Kashmir,  114,  116; 

travel  on,  119,   121,  122;  flood, 

195,  204. 

Johore,  tiger-hunting  in,  44. 
Jubbar  Khan,  Srinagar  merchant, 

205. 

Justice,  execution-ground  at  Can- 
ton, 223;  prison,  223;  court, 

224. 


INDEX 


259 


Kadera  But,  author's  shikari,  125, 
147,  149,  151,  155,  156,  207  ; 
character,  173-175,  184. 

Kaipora,  Kashmir  village,  204. 

Kampong,  23. 

Kamri,  river,  pass,  and  village  in 
Kashmir,  188-190. 

Kandy,  Ceylon,  17. 

Kangan,  Kashmir  village,  126. 

Kashmir,  journey  between  Rawal 
Pindi  and  Srinagar,  113-115, 
207-2 io;Srinagar,  115-117,  204- 
207  ;  preparation  for  hunting  in, 
117-119,  125-127,  129,  142-145; 
topography  and  big  game,  120; 
hunting  regulations,  123,  145, 
146;  coolies,  122;  rest-houses, 
128,  129,  132;  character  of  in- 
habitants, 143,  149, 172-176, 184, 
187,  190;  transportation  of  bank- 
notes, 182;  climate,  191  ;  aspect 
of  main  valley,  191,  195;  flood, 
195,  204 ;  black  bear  hunting, 
196-203  ;  table  etiquette,  206. 
See  also  Baltistan. 

Katoomba,  Australia,  109. 

Kedah,  English  rule,  24. 

Kelantan,  English  rule,  24. 

Khitmagar^  114. 

Ki-Lai,  Chinese  village,  236. 

Kiltas,  1 1 8. 

Kishengunga  River,  190. 

Kishti,  206. 

Kitchener,  Lord,  in  Kashmir,  207. 

Kling  driver,  30. 

Kobani,  138. 

Kohalla,  Kashmir  village,  114,  207. 

Kohinoor,  and  Akbar's  tomb,  61. 

Kowloon,  Hongkong,  246. 

Krishna  worship,  55. 

Kuthodaw  Pagoda,  Mandalay,  217. 


Kwala  Kangsar,  capital  of  Perak, 

27-29. 
Kwala  Kinering,  Perak  village,  33. 

Ladak,  Kashmir,  as  game  region, 

120. 
Lakes,  Rotomahana,  95  ;  Rotorua, 

100;  Taupo,  108. 
Lascars  as  sailors,  3. 
Lawrence,  Sir  Henry,  at  Lucknow, 

death,  77. 
Leeches,  elephant,  as  pest  to  man, 

40. 

Lenggong,  Perak  village.  30. 
Leyburn,  Amoy  sportsman,  235. 
Lim  Ek  Hui,  interpreter,  230,  232. 
Ling  Chee,  223. 
Lipurian     Islands,    Stromboli    in 

eruption,  4. 
Lucknow,  aspect,  75;  celebration 

of  coronation  of   Edward  VII., 

75;    Residency,    76;    siege   and 

first  relief,  76-82. 
Luis,  1 1 8. 
Lumbar dar,  138. 
Lussoo,  author's  shikari,  125. 
Lussoo,  Srinagar  merchant,  205. 

Mahmed  Jan,  Srinagar  merchant, 
205. 

Mail,  conveyance  by  P.  and  O. 
steamships,  10 ;  mail  days  in 
Kashmir  mountains,  165. 

Malacca,  part  of  British  Straits 
Settlements,  25. 

Malaria,  author's  attack,  44,  45,  51, 
98. 

Malay  Peninsula,  hunting  in  inte- 
rior, 22,  31,35,  40,  4*1  43:  rain» 
23, 32  ;  advancement  under  Eng- 
lish control,  23-25, 39 ;  character 


260 


INDEX 


of  natives,  25-27,  39;  travel  in 
interior,  25-44;  British  Resi- 
dents in  interior,  34. 

Mandalay,  aspect,  217,  218. 

Manzis,  121. 

Maoris,  settlement  on  hot  spring 
terrace,  103,  character,  104;  Ha- 
ka  war  dance,  104 ;  women,  105  ; 
speech,  105;  customs,  105;  ca- 
noe races,  106-108. 

Markhor,  in  Kashmir,  120;  stalk- 
ing, 169-172. 

Massacre  Ghat  at  Cawnpore,  68-7 1 . 

Massilia,  P.  and  O.  steamship,  47. 

Matayun,  Kashmir  village,  131, 132. 

Medicine,  idol-doctor's  temple  in 
Canton,  222;  author's  practice 
on  Chinaman,  236. 

Mindon  Min,  King,  of  Burma,  217, 
218. 

Mishkin  Nullah,  Kashmir,  168. 

Mogi,  Japanese  village,  248. 

Mogul  dynasty  of  India,  architec- 
tural works  around  Agra,  57-65. 

Mokoia,  steamship,  109. 

Moore,  Capt.  J.,  at  massacre  of 
Cawnpore,  72. 

Mosques,  Pearl,  at  Agra,  61. 

Moti  Musjid,  61. 

Mumtaz-i-Mahal,  tomb,  63. 

Murphy,  escape  from   Cawnpore, 

74- 
Murree,  Indian  town,  209. 

Nagasaki,  harbor,  247 ;  coaling  at, 

247. 

Nalas,  123. 
Nana   Dhundu  Pant,  massacre  at 

Cawnpore,  67-74. 
Nanga  Parbat,  184,  185. 
Nat,  216. 


Naukar,  118. 

Negri  Sembilan,  English  rule,  24. 

Neill,  Gen.  J.  G.  S.,  at  relief  of 
Lucknow,  79;  killed,  81. 

Nere,  Dr.  A.,  on  Nanga  Parbat,  184. 

New  South  Wales,  points  of  inter- 
est, 109. 

New  Zealand,  Waimungu  and  hot 
springs,  91-103  ;  journey  to,  from 
Calcutta,  98;  character  and  sports 
of  Maoris,  103-108. 

North  German  Lloyd  Co.,  oriental 
line,  219. 

Nullah,  hunting  regulations  in 
Kashmir,  123,  145,  146. 

Nur  Jehan  Begam,  57 ;  tomb  of 
father,  62. 

Nuwara  Eliya,  Ceylon,  17. 

Oregon,  U.  S.  S.,  dance  on,  at  Yo- 
kohama, 252. 

Outram,  Sir  James,  and  first  relief 
of  Lucknow,  78-82. 

Ovis  ammon,  120. 

Padang  Sambai,  Perak,  39,  40. 

Pahang,  English  rule,  24. 

Palaces,  at  Amber,  55 ;  Akbar's,  at 
Agra,  58-61 ;  at  Benares,  86. 

Parkutta,  Kashmir  village,  139. 

Parsees,  disposition  of  dead,  48, 
49 ;  origin  and  migration  to  In- 
dia, 49 ;  influence,  49. 

Paul,  author's  servant,  124. 

Pearl  Mosque  at  Agra,  61. 

Penang,  part  of  British  Straits  Set- 
tlements, 25. 

Pengkulu,  31,  39. 

Peninsula,  P.  and  O.  steamship,  90. 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Line, 
steamships,  I,  10,  47,90;  life  on 


INDEX 


261 


steamships,  3-17  ;  conveyance  of 
mail,  10. 

Pentakota,  steamship,  218. 

Pepper,  cultivation  in  Malay  Pe- 
ninsula, 24. 

Perak,  English  rule,  24;  railway, 
25;  capital  aud  Sultan,  27-29; 
travel  by  bullock-cart,  29;  rest- 
houses,  30;  hunting,  31,  35,  39- 
41,  43;  travel  by  elephant,  33, 
36-39 ;  British  Residents  in  inte- 
rior, 34  ;  travel  by  river,  41-44. 

Perak  River,  travel  on,  4-44. 

Perry,  H.  P.,  plans  travel  with  au- 
thor, 2,  20,  1 08;  tiger-hunting  in 
China,  20,  232  ;  goes  to  Borneo, 
45;  hunting  in  India,  109,  no; 
fever,  1 10  ;  goes  to  Kashmir,  1 1 1 ; 
hunting  there,  117;  ibex-stalking, 
153;  and  greeting  of  Wheeler, 
159,  163;  markhor-stalking,  167, 
172;  at  Astore,  182;  return  to 
Srinagar,  204;  returns  to  Amer- 
ica, 207,  209,  210. 

Persia,  P.  and  O.  steamship,  10. 

Pin  Seng,  Chinese  ship,  44. 

Pink  Terraces  of  New  Zealand,  de- 
struction, 92. 

Politeness  of  Japanese,  251. 

Polo  in  Baltistan,  137,  140. 

Port  Said,  life  at,  5-7 ;  quarantine, 
8 ;  coaling  at,  9. 

Priest's  Water,  spring  at  Rotonia, 
98. 

Prison  at  Canton,  223. 

Province  Wellesley,  part  of  Brit- 
ish Straits  Settlements,  25. 

Punkah,  211. 

Pushmina  shawls,  118. 

Puttoo,  1 1 8,  126. 
e,  218. 


Quarantine  at  Port  Said,  8. 

"  Rachel  "  bath  at  Rotorua,  98. 
Raffles'  Hotel,  Singapore,  19. 
Raft,  bamboo,  on  Perak  River,  41 ; 

on  Indus,  166. 
Railways,  in  Malay  Peninsula,  24, 

25,  29;  in  India,  52,  56,  in. 
Rain  in  Malay  Peninsula,  23,  32, 

38.  44- 

Rajahs  of  Baltistan,  140-142,  160- 
164. 

Rangoon,  inhabitants,  212-214;  ele- 
phants piling  teak,  214;  Shwe 
Dagon  Pagoda,  215. 

Rapids,  shooting  on  Perak  River, 
42. 

Rawal  Pindi,  railway  journey  to, 
in;  travel  between  Srinagar 
and,  113-115,  207-210. 

Red  Sea,  passage,  n. 

Residents,  British,  in  interior  of 
Malay  Peninsula,  34. 

Rest-houses,  in  Malay  Peninsula, 
30;  in  Kashmir,  128,  129,  132. 

Rivers,  Perak,  34,  41-44;  Ganges, 
at  Benares,  83-86;  Wanganui, 
108 ;  Jhelum,  in  Kashmir,  114, 
116;  Sind,  122,  127,  128;  Dras, 
133;  Indus  in  Kashmir,  139, 166  ; 
Basha,  145;  Kamri,  188;  Kish- 
engunga,  190;  Burzil,  190. 

Rondu,  Kashmir  village,  167. 

Rope-bridges  of  Kashmir,  139. 

Roses  in  Kashmir,  178,  187,  196. 

Rotomahana,  Lake,  95. 

Rotorua,  New  Zealand,  91  ;  aspect 
of  neighborhood,  91, 95,  99-104  ; 
hot  springs,  98. 

Rotorua  Lake,  100 ;  Hamurana 
Spring,  101. 


262 


INDEX 


Rowbury  Hotel  at  Murree,  209. 
Rubber  plantations  in  Malay  Pe- 
ninsula, 24. 

Sakai  hill  tribes,  hunters,  40. 

Salia  Melik,  Perry's  shikari,  125, 
173,  184. 

Sammad  Shah,  Srinagar  merchant, 
205. 

Seladang-hunting  in  Malay  Penin- 
sula, 22,  41,  43. 

Selangor,  English  rule,  24. 

Sgrai,  138. 

Servants,  personal,  of  guests  in 
India,  211. 

Seydlitz,  steamship,  219. 

Shah  Jehan,  building  of  Taj  Ma- 
hal, 57,  63-65. 

Shanghai,  247. 

Sharpu,  in  Kashmir,  120;  stalking, 
180,  185-189. 

Sheep,  wild,  of  Kashmir,  120. 

Shikaris,  hiring  of,  118;  author's, 
125;  character,  142,  172-176, 
184,  187, 190;  feast  after  success- 
ful hunt,  156,  157. 

Shoes,  grass,  of  Kashmir,  1 29. 

Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  215-217. 

Sidka,  author's  shikari,  125,  147, 

151,  175- 

Simla,  112. 

Sind  River,  122,  127,  128;  travel 
through  valley,  125-132. 

Singapore,  smell,  18;  Raffles'  Ho- 
tel, 19;  inhabitants,  aspect,  19; 
part  of  British  Straits  Settle- 
ments, 25. 

Siwai  Jai  Singh  and  Jaipore,  54. 

Skardu,  Kashmir  village,  166. 

Sleeping  on  deck  on  P.  and  O. 
steamship,  12. 


Smells,  of  the  East,  14;  of  Sin* 
gapore,  18 ;  of  Canton,  220. 

Sonamarg,  Kashmir  village,  128. 

Sonamarg  Gorge,  Kashmir,  128. 

Sopor,  Kashmir  village,  204. 

Spices,  cultivation  in  Malay  Penin- 
sula, 24. 

Srinagar,  pronunciation,  112;  travel 
between  Rawal  Pindi  and,  112- 
115,  207-210;  aspect,  115-117; 
house-boats,  117;  outfitting  at, 
117-119;  flood,  204;  shopping 
at,  205;  boats,  206. 

Steamships,  various,  i,  10,  17,  21, 
47,90,  109,  212,  218,  219,  227, 
245,  246,  253 ;  life  on  P.  and  O., 
1-17 ;  "  Empress  "  ships,  246. 

Stromboli  in  eruption,  4. 

Subsar,  Kashmir  village,  167. 

Suez  Canal,  life  at  Port  Said,  1-7  ; 
and  the  desert,  7  ;  quarantine,  8  ; 
coaling,  9;  passage,  n. 

Sufdermogul,  Srinagar  merchant, 
205. 

"  Suffering  Moses  "  sign  at  Srina- 
gar, 205. 

Sullivan,  escape  from  Cawnpore, 
74- 

Sultan  of  Perak,  28. 

Sultana,  Srinagar  taxidermist,  206, 

Sultana  of  Perak,  unintentional 
presentation  to,  28. 

Supayawlat,  Queen,  of  Burma,  218. 

Taiping,  Perak  town,  25. 
Taj  Mahal,  conception  and  erec- 
tion, 58,  63 ;  beauty,  64,  65. 
Tamil  laborers  in  Malay  Peninsula, 

25- 

Tarawera  volcano,  91,  95  ;  eruption 
of  1886,  92. 


INDEX 


263 


Tarkutti,  Kashmir  village,  139. 

Tat  ft  t  112. 

Taupo,  Lake,  108. 

Teak,  elephants  piling,  214. 

Tchsildar,  122,  181. 

Temples,  at  Agra,  61 ;  at  Benares, 
88;  Shwe  Dagon  Pagoda,  215- 
217  ;  at  Canton,  222. 

Thales,  steamship,  245. 

Thebaw,  King,  218. 

Thomas,  author's  Cingalee  servant, 
in  Kashmir,  124,  143-145,  172, 
181,  210;  in  China,  220,  227, 
230,  246. 

Thomson,  Lieut.  Mowbray,  escape 
from  Cawnpore,  72-74. 

TV,  215. 

Tiffin-coolies,  125. 

Tiger,  hunting  in  Malay  Peninsula, 
23,  31;  hunting  in  Johore,  45; 
cave-dwelling,  in  China,  226; 
Chinese  hunters,  229,  234 ;  hunt- 
ing in  China,  231-233,  236-244 ; 
preparation  of  skin,  245. 

Tikitere,  valley  of,  99. 

Tin  mines  in  Malay  Peninsula, 
24. 

Tokyo,  Japanese  hotel,  249-251 ; 
imperial  chrysanthemum  garden- 
party,  2  51. 

Tombs  of  Mogul  rulers,  61-65. 

Tonga,  travel  by,  in  Kashmir,  112- 

"5- 

Towers  of  Silence  at  Bombay,  48, 
49. 

Trade,  shops  in  Colombo,  15;  in 
Srinagar,  Ii6-n8,  205;  in  Can- 
ton, 221,  222. 

Tragbal  Pass,  Kashmir,  191. 

Travel,  from  Marseilles  to  Colom- 
bo, life  on  P.  and  O.  steamship, 


1-17  ;  conditions  of  content- 
ment, 3  ;  from  Colombo  to  Sin- 
gapore, 17-20  ;  in  interior  of  Ma- 
lay Peninsula,  by  bullock-cart, 
elephant,  and  raft,  25-44  ;  across 
Northern  India,  47-90;  Indian 
railways,  52,  56,  in  ;  in  hot- 
spring  region  of  New  Zealand, 
91-108;  from  Calcutta  to  Ra- 
wal  Pindi,  1 1 1 ;  between  Rawal 
Pindi  and  Srinagar,  by  tonga, 
112-115,  207-210;  by  doonga 
on  Jhelum  River,  121,  122;  in 
mountains  of  Kashmir,  122-145, 
165-169,  176-185,  189-192,  204; 
in  Burma,  212-218,  from  Ran- 
goon to  Hongkong,  218-219; 
Canton,  220-225;  fr°m  Hong- 
kong to  Yokohama,  246-248 ;  in 
Japan,  248-252;  Yokohama  to 
Boston,  253. 

Trengganu,  English  rule,  24. 

Tulu,  Kashmir  village,  167. 

Typhoon  at  Amoy,  245. 

Tytler,  Col.  J.  F.,  at  relief  of  Luck- 
now,  80. 

Vibart,  Major  Edward,  at  massacre 

of  Cawnpore,  69,  72. 
Volcanoes,  Stromboli  in  eruption, 

4;  Tarawera,  91,  92. 

Waning  106. 

Waikite  Geyser,  102. 

Waimungu  Geyser,  origin  and  first 
eruption,  91-93;  danger  and  dis- 
aster, 93-95 ;  in  eruption,  95,  96. 

Wairakei,  New  Zealand,  108. 

Wairoa  Geyser,  102. 

Wanganui  River,  108. 

Ward,  Rowland,  taxidermist,  206. 


264 


INDEX 


Well  of  Knowledge  at  Benares,  87. 

Whakarewarewa,  geysers,  101-103; 
Maori  settlement,  103. 

"Wheeler,  A.  H.,  plans  travel  with 
author,  2,  20 ;  tiger-hunting  in 
China,  20,  232;  in  Johore,  45, 
46 ;  in  Philippines,  108,  1 1 1 ;  in 
Kashmir,  158,  177;  reception  as 
Maharajah,  158-165. 

Wheeler,  Sir  Hugh,  at  siege  of 
Cawnpore,  67,  69. 


William,  Fort,  Calcutta,  210. 
Willis,   Capt.   F.  A.,  at  relief  of 

Luck  now,  80. 
Wilson,  Capt.  T.  F.,  at  Lucknow, 

77- 
Woosung,  China,  247. 

Yokohama,  harbor,  248,  252. 

Zogi  La  Pass,  Kashmir,  121,  131. 
Zoroaster,  religion,  50. 


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